More and more people want pork rinds as a guilt-free snack instead of potato chips and other unhealthy junk food. People on Keto, Paleolithic, or Atkins diets say that pork rinds are a good way to satisfy their cravings because they are high in protein and low in carbs.
You can buy pork rinds that are already broken down and ready to eat, but sometimes you might want to cook them yourself. If so, you should get ready for a rather long but fulfilling preparation process.
Your pork skin needs to get soft before you cook it in the oven or a skillet. If you don’t, your pork rinds will be chewy and hard. You may also need to score the thick layers of fat that are attached to the skin and drain the water.
As someone who loves snacking on crispy, salty treats, I was excited when I first tried pork rinds. With their airy crunch and robust pork flavor, they seemed like an ideal snack. But I quickly found that eating more than a few led to an unpleasant feeling of dryness and difficulty swallowing. What gives? Aren’t pork rinds supposed to be an irresistibly poppable snack? I decided to get to the bottom of why these crunchy curiosities can be so hard to swallow.
First, let’s look at what exactly pork rinds are made of. Pork skin is taken from the belly or back of a pig, then fried or baked until it puffs up, becoming crispy and chip-like. The key thing to understand is that pork rinds are basically pure fat and protein. During processing, the moisture and meat are removed, leaving just the skin behind.
This incredibly low moisture content is one major factor that makes pork rinds challenging to eat in large quantities. With each crunchy mouthful, the rinds absorb saliva, leaving your mouth and throat parched. No wonder they provoke such a pronounced thirst! Without any starch or sugar to add palatability, all that concentrated porky flavor and oiliness becomes overpowering.
The shape of pork rinds also plays a role in making them hard to swallow. Their light and airy structure means they practically dissolve on your tongue. But when partially broken down rinds make their way to the back of your throat, they can cause irritation triggering your body’s swallowing reflex. This can make you feel like the snacks are sticking in your throat.
-
Extremely low moisture content that absorbs saliva
-
Lack of starch or sugar to balance the taste
-
Oiliness that coats the mouth
-
Airy, lightweight structure that dissolves on the tongue
-
Tendency to break down and cause throat irritation
Luckily, there are some easy ways to make pork rinds more swallow-friendly:
-
Drink plenty of water or other fluids while snacking to keep your mouth hydrated.
-
Eat them alongside something with more moisture, like guacamole or salsa.
-
Choose smaller rinds that won’t break down as much before swallowing
-
Slow down while eating and be sure to chew thoroughly before attempting to swallow.
While pork rinds may require a bit more effort to enjoy than other crunchy snacks, understanding the science behind their texture explains why they can be tricky to swallow. Now that I know it’s not just in my head, I feel better equipped to nibble on these porky treats in a more sensible way. Though they may never be as easy to eat as potato chips, a few simple tweaks make pork rinds a more palatable snack.
How Do You Soften Pork Skin?
Pork skin is typically hard and crunchy. While some people enjoy them as is, others may find them to be too tough and chewy. If this sounds like you, here are some things you can do to make hard pork rinds easier to chew.
One way to do it is to soak them in water for a few hours. This will help to rehydrate the skin and make it more pliable. Heres a quick guide on how to do it:
- Put your hard pork rinds in a bowl or some other container to start.
- Use enough water to cover the pork rinds all the way to the bottom.
- Soak the pork rinds for at least 30 minutes, or more than that if you have time.
- After they have soaked, drain off the water.
It’s also possible to cook the rinds in water for a few minutes, which will make them a little easier to chew. To do so:
- Place the pork rinds in a pot or saucepan.
- Cover the pork rinds with water. The pork rinds should be about an inch above the water.
- Bring the water to a boil.
- For about 10 minutes, or until they are soft, let the pork rinds cook in the water.
- Drain the water from the pot or saucepan.
You can choose to remove the fat from the back of the pork skin after soaking it so your pork rinds don’t get chewy. Score the skin using a sharp knife and rub it with salt. If there are any stubborn fat layers, cut them off and discard them.
When softening pork skin, you are essentially allowing it to soak in extra moisture. But before cooking it, you’ll need to drain off the extra water so that the pork rinds are light and airy.
Why are Pork Cracklins So Hard?
Because they are made from pig skin, which is very thick and tough to chew, pork cracklins are extra tough. And pork skin is very high in fat, with fat stuck to the back of the skin. This makes it meatier and thicker than regular pork skin. However, this fat prevents the cracklin from expanding and taking a lighter and airer form.
Also, pork cracklins get harder and harder to bite through when they are fried in oil without the thick layers of fat being removed. Removing the fat will help make the pork skin softer and crunchier.
The heat at which you cook pork cracklins can also cause them to become hard. If the temperature is not high enough, the skin won’t crack properly, resulting in a rubbery texture. Make sure to cook pork skin in oil that has a smoke point of 400 degrees. Lard doesn’t burn at high temperatures, so they work best when cooking pork skin. You can read more about pork cracklins here.