What Oil are Mac’s Pork Skins Fried In? Getting to the Bottom of How These Crunchy Snacks are Made

As a lover of tasty snacks I’m always curious to learn how some of my favorite treats are made. Mac’s Pork Skins have long been a go-to snack for me. There’s nothing quite like the crunch of their crispy skins paired with various bold flavors. But one question has always lingered in the back of my mind – what oil do they use to fry up these porky bites of heaven?

In my quest to uncover the secrets behind these addictive snacks I did some digging to find out what exactly gives Mac’s Pork Skins that satisfying crunch we know and love. Here’s a look at how these crunchy pork skins go from pig to bag.

Overview of Mac’s Pork Skins

For those not familiar with pork skins, they are quite literally the skin of a pig that has been deep fried or baked until super crispy and golden brown. Mac’s Pork Skins come in various flavors like regular, barbecue, salt and vinegar, and hot and spicy.

The skins puff up when fried, almost like a chip. But unlike potato or corn chips, pork skins are essentially just fried pig skin, with little to no other ingredients. This makes them a high protein, low carb snack, appealing to followers of diets like keto and paleo.

Mac’s Pork Skins pride themselves on their all-natural ingredients. According to their website, the only ingredients are pork skins, salt, and flavoring. No preservatives, MSG, or artificial flavors.

I reached out to the company directly to get the inside scoop on their cooking process and the type of oil used, Here’s what I found out

Mac’s Pork Skins are Fried in Lard

After contacting Mac’s Pork Skins customer service, they confirmed that their skins are fried in lard. For those unfamiliar with lard, it is rendered pig fat. So those crispy Mac’s Pork Skins are fried up in their own fat!

Using lard to fry pork skins makes perfect sense. Lard has a high smoke point of around 370-400°F, making it suitable for deep frying. It also has a mild, meaty flavor that pairs nicely with pork.

Lard was commonly used for all kinds of cooking and baking up until the 1950s. But concerns over saturated fat led to the decline of lard as vegetable oils became more popular.

Recently though, lard has made a comeback amongst chefs and home cooks. The natural fat is loved for its rich flavor when used for frying, sautéing, and baking. Lard is also a traditional fat used for making tamales, pie crusts, tortillas, and more.

Using lard to fry their pork skins allows Mac’s to keep the ingredient list short. Since lard is just rendered pig fat, it fits with their commitment to simple, natural ingredients.

How Mac’s Pork Skins are Fried in Lard

Now that we know pork skins are fried in lard, let’s take a look at the process step-by-step:

1. Skinning and cleaning the pork – Pork skin has a very thick layer of fat beneath it. So the first step is to remove the fat from the underside of the skin. The skin then gets cleaned thoroughly.

2. Cutting the skins – Next, the cleaned skins are cut into the snack-sized pieces we are familiar with.

3. Frying in lard – The pork skins are then fried in vats of hot lard, reaching temperatures of around 375°F. The high heat causes the skins to puff up and become crispy.

4. Draining and cooling – Once fried, the pork skins are removed from the lard and allowed to drain and cool on racks.

5. Flavoring – After cooling, the pork skins are seasoned with salt at a minimum. Additional seasonings are also added to make flavors like barbecue, hot and spicy, etc.

6. Packaging – Lastly, the fried and seasoned pork skins are packaged into bags, sealed to preserve freshness and crunch.

And there you have it – those delicious Mac’s Pork Skins all start with just pork skin, lard for frying, and added seasonings. Pretty simple ingredients for such a tasty snack!

The Benefits of Frying in Lard

Using lard as the frying oil offers some nice benefits for pork skins:

1. Authentic pork flavor – Lard has a mild, porky flavor which matches nicely with the pork skins.

2. Crunch factor – The high smoke point of lard allows the skins to fry up super crispy.

3. Natural fat – Lard is simply pork fat, letting Mac’s Pork Skins meet their commitment to simple, natural ingredients.

4. Traditional method – Frying in lard follows the traditional approach used for pork skin snacks before vegetable oils became widely available.

So not only does using lard just make sense when frying a pork product, it also results in some exceptionally crispy, delicious pork skins. Mac’s adherence to time-tested frying methods pays off in terms of authentic flavor and texture.

Trying Your Hand at Frying Pork Skins in Lard

If you want to recreate that signature Mac’s crunch at home, frying up your own pork skins in lard is worth a try. Here are some tips:

• Seek out raw pork skin from your local butcher to start with the freshest skins.

• Trim excess fat from the underside of the raw skins for the crispiest results.

• Cut skins into snack-sized pieces about 2 inches wide.

• Heat lard to 375°F in a heavy pot, using enough oil to submerge the skins.

• Fry skin pieces in batches for about 5-7 minutes until puffed and golden brown.

• Drain the crispy skins on a paper towel-lined baking sheet.

• Toss the hot pork skins with salt and any other desired seasoning while still warm.

Be prepared for things to get splattery when frying at home – hot oil can really pop and sputter. But the homemade porky goodness is worth it!

Enjoying Mac’s Pork Skins the Healthy Way

Mac’s Pork Skins are inherently a more nutritious snack than your average potato chip thanks to their high protein content and low carbs when eaten plain. But you can make them even healthier by:

• Choosing low-salt or unseasoned skins to limit sodium intake.

• Eating them plain without heavy dips or toppings.

• Pairing them with fresh veggies or guacamole for more nutrients.

• Portioning them out rather than mindless snacking straight from the bag.

• Using them to scoop up hummus, salsa, or other healthy dips.

In moderation, pork skins can be part of a balanced diet. Just be mindful of portions to avoid overindulging in the crispy goodness!

Satisfy Your Crunch Cravings with Mac’s Pork Skins

I don’t know about you, but I can never resist a crunchy snack, and Mac’s Pork Skins always satisfy my craving. There’s something so nostalgic about their texture and porky flavor.

Knowing that Mac’s still fries their pork skins in the traditional way, using good ol’ fashioned lard, makes me appreciate the snacks even more. It takes dedication to stick to their time-tested process in a world of mass vegetable oil production.

The result is a uniquely tasty and crispy snack that always hits the spot. So next time you’re jonesing for a crunchy treat, grab a bag of Mac’s Pork Skins to enjoy that satisfying lard-fried crunch. Just be careful not to hog them all for yourself!