Crispy, crunchy beef cracklings are quickly becoming a favorite snack for those who love deep, meaty flavor. But what exactly are beef cracklings? Let’s take a closer look at how they’re made, their nutritional profile, and creative ways to enjoy these crave-worthy bites.
Definition and Creation Process
Beef cracklings are made from rendered beef fat that is cooked until browned and crispy To make them, large chunks of raw beef fat are slowly simmered in water This rendering process causes the fat to break down into liquid tallow and solid cracklings.
Once the tallow is strained out, the remaining crispy bits of fat and skin are the cracklings. They can then be seasoned and baked or fried again to intensify their crispy texture. Beef brisket, chuck roast, and ribeye are particularly well-suited for making cracklings due to their high fat content.
Intensely Meaty, Savory Flavor
What makes beef cracklings so addictive is their ultra-concentrated meatiness. Rendering the fat distills the essence of beefy flavor and frying intensifies it. The end result is an explosion of rich, savory umami with a pleasing crunch.
Many compare them to pork rinds or bacon bits, but with more complexity. The flavor is deeper and more well-rounded. Beef cracklings also avoid the greasy mouthfeel sometimes associated with pork rinds. When fried at high heat, the fat takes on a shatteringly crisp texture.
Nutrition Profile – High in Fat, Low Carb
Since beef cracklings come purely from beef fat, their macros are almost entirely fat-based. A 1 ounce serving of cracklings contains:
- Calories: 218
- Fat: 24g
- Carbs: 0g
- Protein: 7g
So cracks are very high in fat, with minimal carbs and moderate protein. The fat content makes them highly satiating for low carb/keto diets. However, those limiting saturated fat or cholesterol may want to enjoy them in moderation.
Creative Ways to Eat Cracklings
On their own, beef cracklings make a satisfying high-fat snack. But there are also many delicious ways to incorporate them into meals:
- Sprinkle over salads for a crunchy topping
- Fold into egg scrambles instead of bacon
- Use as a taco or nacho topping
- Toss into lean ground beef while browning
- Top roasted vegetables or cauliflower rice
- Mix with popped popcorn for flavor and texture
- Garnish hearty soups and stews
- Add crunch to green bean or brussels sprout casseroles
Make Your Own for Full Customization
While some beef cracklings can be purchased pre-made, making them at home lets you fully control the quality and flavor. You can select the best cuts of beef fat, adjust the seasoning, and fry to your desired level of crispness.
Homemade also allows you to render fat from other meats like pork, chicken, duck, or lamb for unique cracklings. Feel free to get creative with spices like cajun seasoning, rosemary, cumin or chili powder. The possibilities are endless.
A Satisfying Snack from Nose-to-Tail Cooking
Beef cracklings are the perfect way to use the whole animal in cooking. Snout-to-tail and nose-to-tail movements emphasize utilizing every part of the animal for sustainability. Instead of throwing away fatty trimmings, transforming them into delicious cracklings reduces waste.
Crunchy, Savory Goodness in Every Bite
With their crispy crunch and ultra beefy taste, it’s easy to see why beef cracklings are becoming a coveted snack. Their high fat content provides fuel for low carb/keto diets while their flavor punches up all kinds of recipes. Try making your own for a uniquely delicious cooking experiment. Just beware – they may become addictive!
Preservatives, additives and chemicals
Cracklings per se don’t need any preservatives or additives, just the pigskin, some salt, and oil. But if you look at the ingredient lists of some store-bought brands, especially the flavored cracklings, you might notice some other things that make you wonder.
- MSG, or monosodium glutamate, is a food additive that can be made from glutamic acid, an amino acid that is not necessary for life. This is usually used to enhance the flavor. But it is still up for discussion whether MSG is harmful to health. There have been reports of bad effects like headaches, numbness, weakness, flushing, and tight muscles. It was also linked to weight gain. That being said, there are still no official studies that say MSG is safe or not safe to eat.
- A polysaccharide called maltodextrin is often added to packaged foods to make them taste better, be thicker, and last longer. This white powdery substance comes from corn, but it has been highly processed with acids or enzymes. Maltodextrin is a safe food additive according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It is included in the total carbohydrate count of a food to show how healthy it is. It has been said that maltodextrin may have a high glycemic index, which could be bad for people with diabetes. But this substance is found in food in small amounts most of the time, so a moderate amount won’t have that much of an effect.
- This is silicon dioxide, which is also known as silica. It is naturally found in bell peppers, oats, alfalfa, beets, brown rice, and leafy green vegetables. But this can also be added to food to keep powdered ingredients from sticking together. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says this is a safe food additive, and it shouldn’t make up more than 2% of the total weight of the food.
- Phosphorus can be used to make disodium phosphate, which is an ingredient in food. A lot of the time, it’s used to package foods and make some cheeses smoother. Not only that, but it’s also in some chocolates, canned sauces, meat products, and Jell-O. Even though the FDA says this additive is generally safe, researchers are still looking into its not-so-good effects. But as a general rule, this additive is found in processed and packaged foods, and eating too many of these is bad for you.
Cracklings are stored in PET or PP plastic pouches just like any chips at the market. These are sealed from air and moisture to keep the cracklings crunchy. For larger quantities, other brands pack the cracklings in big barrel-like plastic containers.
Cracklings can be eaten on its own, either in its original flavor or in seasoned variations. Others prefer to dip it in sauces and dips. It can be eaten as a snack, but it can also be used in place of bacon crumble or mixed into dough to make crackling bread or biscuits. Cracklings are also incorporated into salads, scrambled eggs, gravies, sauces, and other dishes to add flavor.
Most of the time, cracklings stay crunchy when they are stored in an airtight container. Make sure that any air or moisture is sucked out of the pack. One blog says that to make sure the container doesn’t let air in, kitchen paper should be put on top of and below the cracklings before the lid is sealed. It is said that this will keep the cracklings crunchy and fresh for about a week at room temperature.
Production & Farming in Texas
There are artisan crackling makers in Texas who started out selling at farmers markets and have since grown to sell to a wider audience, even across Amazon!
A boucherie event took place a few years ago. This is a traditional Southern Louisiana tradition where a hog is cut up into its different parts and turned into what seems like endless porky goodness, such as vats of cracklings and fatback.
Beef Fat Cracklings Made 3 Different Ways LIVE Q&A too!
FAQ
Is there a beef version of pork rinds?
What to do with beef tallow cracklings?
What is the difference between cracklins and rinds?
What is a crackling used for?
Cracklings, also known as scratchings or cracklings, are the solid material that remains after rendering animal fat and skin to produce lard, tallow, or schmaltz. They are often eaten as a snack food or made into animal feed. Cracklings are also used in cooking.
What are cracklings made of?
Cracklings are made from various meats, including pork, goose, and chicken. They are also made from other poultry and from beef, lamb, and mutton. In French cuisine, cracklings (grillons, grattons, gratterons, frittons) may be made from pork, goose, duck, or turkey. These are salted while hot and eaten as an hors-d’œuvre, especially in the southwest.
Are cracklings made of lard or trans fat?
The rendered fat after making cracklings is also known as lard. It has been largely used for cooking and baking but people turned away from using this because of its saturated fat content. Though now, there are debates again on using lard vs trans fats. Each country has its own version and name for cracklings.
Are crispy beef brisket cracklins healthy?
These crispy beef brisket cracklins can absolutely be part of a healthy plan to lose or maintain weight. By trimming the fat and saving it for cooking and eating (cracklins), I am actually spreading out the fat consumption over days and weeks.