Pork scratchings
One evening we had some British friends round and talk turned to foods we missed from home. Feeling nostalgic I used some defrosted, leftover pork skin from making bacon to knock up these pork scratchings. Here in New York pork rinds tend to come in an airy, puffed form. While they are delicious in their own right, particularly with Sauce of Power, sometimes nothing can replace a crunchy, piggy scratching with its unapologetic layer of crisped fat, and at times tooth-breaking texture.
Ingredients
Pork rind, cleaned with any bits of hair or discolouration removed
White vinegar
Sea salt
What to do
Preheat the oven to 200˚C (400˚F). Blot your pork skin with paper towels to make sure it is completely dry then cut or use scissors to snip into rough, bite sized pieces. Try to keep them roughly even in size so they cook at the same time. Put all the pieces of pork skin in a bowl and sprinkle over a little vinegar, tossing lightly so every piece is damp. Place the pieces in a baking tray, making sure none of them touch each other so they crisp up on all sides. Sprinkle over a generous amount of sea salt and pop the tray in the oven.
The pork scratching should take 10-15 minutes to cook. You will see the skin start to blister and puff up in places. Take them out when they smell delicious and have turned a deep caramel brown. Give one piece a tap and if it still feels leathery put them back in for a few more minutes. If any of the smaller pieces look like they might start to burn take them out.
Serve with Sauce of Power, and a good movie.