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Grafixgibbs
06-13-2012, 08:30 PM
This weekend I'm cooking for my wife's birthday. One of the things I'm cooking is a picnic and it has the skin on it. I'm a huge fan of crispy pig skin (cracklin'). How do you make that? You know when you smoke a whole hog and the skin gets nice and crispy? Like that.

Thanks on advance.
Bludawg
06-13-2012, 08:36 PM
I always skin 'em out and make Chicharones out of it.
CarolinaQue
06-13-2012, 08:59 PM
Salt! Just salt the skin before you put it on the smoker. When it hit's 175* or so, score the skin with a sharp knife to render the fat out and resalt it just a touch.
Redheart
06-14-2012, 11:35 AM
I use Old Bay to season that skin. Of course I use Old Bay on just about everything other than my Cap'n Crunch.
Grafixgibbs
06-14-2012, 12:04 PM
I use Old Bay to season that skin. Of course I use Old Bay on just about everything other than my Cap'n Crunch.

Do you cut it off and cook it on the smoker or leave it on?
Redheart
06-14-2012, 12:29 PM
Do you cut it off and cook it on the smoker or leave it on?

I smoke the leg skin on. I then remove the skin by grabbing it and pulling from the haunch down to the stirrup. I then either use the skin for flavouring other foods or I season the inside of the skin and then back into a fast oven or cooker.
NS Mike D
06-14-2012, 12:51 PM
La Caja China arrived today. I was on the phone with them before making the purchase and they cook extra shoulders in advance to supplement what they will get from a whole hog - after the shoulder is cooked, they remove the skin and crisp it on top of a grill.
landarc
06-14-2012, 12:55 PM
You score after cooking? I always score before cooking, dry thoroughly and then salt the skin and fat thoroughly.
NBBD
06-14-2012, 07:45 PM
I always skin 'em out and make Chicharones out of it.

I have some skin froze from bellies skinned for bacon...

Would this work to make chicharones? If so... what do you suggest.
CarolinaQue
06-14-2012, 08:08 PM
^^^Yes^^^
CarolinaQue
06-14-2012, 08:11 PM
You score after cooking? I always score before cooking, dry thoroughly and then salt the skin and fat thoroughly.

With the LaCaja China, that's how it's done. I even do it that way some times when I cook a whole piggy on my offset. The skin side down for the first 2/3 to 3/4 of the cook helps retain the moisture in the meat, and scoring it after it's flipped helps it render to crisp it up. At least that's how I was taught and do it.