Did You Guess What I Was Making???? Homemade Chicharrones!

I was able to get some fresh pigskin at a local market, so I decided to make Chicharrones. 

I started by boiling the skins till they were soft and pretty fragile. This would make it easier to scrape any fat off. Once the skins were boiled (at least an hour), I CAREFULLY (because at this stage they will easily tear) removed them from the pot and put them on a cookie sheet. I then refrigerated overnight. (I boiled these mid day.) Refrigeration makes the fat removal much easier that it would be right out of the pot. The next day, using a spoon, I scraped all of the fat from the skin. (Above) Sometimes there is a small bit of fat on the edges that doesn't want to come off. When that happens, just trim that edge off. You MUST remove all the fat before the skin goes into dehydration.

 Once I completer the fat removal from the skins (above), they were ready for the dehydrator. 

 If necessary, cut skin into manageable pieces that will fit into the dehydrator. Then, 167 degrees for about 16 hours. ALL of the moisture must be removed from the skin or it will not fry properly later on.

 After 16 hours, you will end up with......pieces of "pork plastic", which is how I refer to the dehydrated skins. At this time, you can break the "pork plastic" into smaller pieces to either store or cook right away.

 Cooking them up is easy!!!! Take canola oil to 400 degrees (my oil was slightly higher, but worked fine) and CAREFULLY drop a few pieces at a time into the oil. within seconds, it will puff right up. I get little to no splash back when putting the pieces in the hot oil, because there is no moisture in the pieces. When done (about 15 or 20 seconds) put on paper or in a bowl, and season with your favorite kind of seasoning, or even just salt and pepper.

  To Store Unused Pieces- You MUST keep moisture out. I have double bagged in freezer bags and put into the fridge for a few days. It has worked fine for me. However, I have also been told that another good way to store in the fridge for a while is vacuum packing. I have just tried this method, to see how it goes. If vacuum packed, I have also been told you can freeze for long term storage. I need to try this method. I haven't as yet as mine never lasted that long to have to worry about long term storage!

Anyone for Some BBQ????

 I guess you might say that ribs with one of my homemade sauces is my specialty. This sweet but oh so slightly spiced sauce, a recipe that I developed and also use as a base for others, is probably my favorite to use. It gives the meat a not too sweet, but delicious...sticky...delectable, coating. I use my sauces both on the grill and in the oven. 

But BBQ sauce isn't just for the BBQ.....Oh No! Try your favorite sauce as a condiment for your burgers, hot dogs, chops, fries or onion rings! It's a great substitute for ketchup! And if a store bought sauce isn't spicy enough for you, just kick it up a bit by mixing in your favorite hot sauce...to taste of course. Like it a bit more vinegary? Mix in some of your favorite vinegar. I think you see where this is all going.

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Any Guesses??????

 

 

So....what do you think the "Dish of the Day" is? Hints........It is not tortilla chips nor is it pita chips.....

You may chat amongst yourselves and leave your thoughts before I reveal the answer!

Have Fun!!!

Practical Prepping at Home

 I'm working on the "Practical Prepping At Home" book, as we speak! Geared for the average home and family, "Practical Prepping..." shows how to keep yourself prepared for most common emergencies and other down times. 

 Check out the Practical Prepping At Home website to learn more about the book and how it will be available! 

 

If your company is interested in advertising in "Practical Prepping At Home", drop me a message.

Easy Aloe Prep

 Getting the gel out of the aloe leaves is really not a difficult task. Just time consuming and repetitive, if you are harvesting multiple plants instead of just one or two individual leaves.  

Step 1. Cut larger leaf from aloe, leaving the smaller ones to develop further. Wash any soil off. This leaf could have been a bit larger, but as this was from one of the whole plants that we harvested, this was actually one of the larger leaves on this plant. 

Check for resin in the leaf. This is done by allowing the leaf to stand upright for 10-15 minutes in a cup. The resin has a yellowish look to it and will drain out into the cup. The resin should be drained, as it contains latex, which can be an irritant.

  

 

Step 2. Cut off both ends of the aloe. You can either put these aside to use later or throw away.

 

Step 3. Remove the spines from each side of the leaf. While this may seem like an unnecessary step, since you will only be removing the gel, removal of the spines does two things......keeps you from stabbing your finger while stripping the leaf (the spines can get into fingers like a splinter), and makes it easier to filet the top off of the leaf.

Step 4. Remove the thin green skin from the top side of the aloe leaf. It is similar to filleting one side of a fish. If you have ever done that....you can easily do this. If not, it won't take long to catch on.

Step 5. After the thin green skin is removed, the gel is now exposed.

Step 6. Using a spoon or the edge of your knife (carefully, so that you don't dig into the skin underneath or cut yourself), pull the gel off of the aloe leaf. It should come off VERY easily, albeit maybe a little messy.

Step 7. The gel removed. Cut up into pieces and refrigerate until needed. If you want the gel more liquefied, you can put it in a blender or mash till liquefied. Because the fresh aloe can have a short shelf life in the fridge, you should only do as many leaves as you think you might use in a week. If, like I am, you are having to harvest entire plants, the gel can be frozen. I would use ice cube trays to do the initial freezing, then when frozen, remove from the trays, place the frozen cubes in a bag or container. Do this quickly, so that the pieces stay frozen. That way, you can go into the freezer and pull out only the pieces you need at the time.  

Chat Box

 I have just installed a live chat box below, on the left hand margin! Be kind, don't spam, don't swear (we have all ages here), ask questions, share information and have fun!!!