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Chicharrón en salsa verde
Pork crackling in green salsa
Chicharrón en salsa verde: crisp pork crackling softened in tangy tomatillo salsa, Central Mexico
This is a pork dish: sheets of chicharrón, deep-fried pork skin, are broken up and simmered in green tomatillo salsa until they soften into chewy, porky morsels. It's a fixture of Mexico City breakfast stalls and Sunday family tables, eaten in tacos, in a torta or with rice and beans. The sauce is sharp and lively, the crackling rich, and one pan feeds a crowd for very little money. Chef's tip: buy plain chicharrón from a Latin grocer or butcher, not flavoured snack crackling.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the salsa
- 1 ⅛ lb tomatilloshusked and rinsed
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ oz fresh coriander
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 tsp salt
For the pork
- 9 oz pork crackling (chicharrón)broken into 4 cm pieces
To serve
- 12 warm corn tortillas (optional)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put the 1 ⅛ lb tomatillos, 3 serrano chiles, ½ white onion and 2 cloves garlic in a pan, cover with water and simmer for 10 minutes until the tomatillos turn olive green.
10 minStep 2: Drain and blend with the ½ oz fresh coriander, the 1 tsp salt and 125 ml of the ½ cup water until smooth.
2 minStep 3: Heat the 1 tbsp sunflower oil in a wide pan over a medium-high heat, pour in the salsa and fry for 3 minutes until it darkens slightly. Add the rest of the 1 cup water and bring to a simmer.
4 minStep 4: Add the 9 oz pork crackling (chicharrón) and simmer for 5–7 minutes until it has softened but still has a little chew. Don't leave it longer: it melts into a shapeless mush.
6 minStep 5: Serve at once with 12 warm corn tortillas, beans and rice.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chicharrón en salsa verde take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of white onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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