Chicharrón Popcorn

Crunchy salty zesty chicharrón popcorrón

2 hours prep

2 hours cook

Serves 3

Nell Carter

Ingredients

Chicharrón

1pork belly skin, thin layer of fat attached

1onion, halved

1bulb garlic

2bay leaves

1 tspwhole black peppercorns

neutral oil, for frying

Popcorn:

75gpopcorn kernels

1-2 tbspneutral oil

guacamole, to serve

40gbutter, melted

Tajin

salt

squeezelime

Crunchy nuggets of chicharrón tossed through buttery Tajín popcorn. Salty, spicy, and zesty — the ultimate gameday snack.

Method

Bring a saucepan of water to a rolling boil with onion, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, and plenty of salt.

Slice pork belly widthways into 1cm pieces and add to the pot. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 1–1½ hours, until the skin is tender but still holding its shape.

Lift the pieces out with tongs and drain well on a wire rack or paper towels. Once cool, pat completely dry and trim off most of the meat, leaving just skin and a thin layer of fat.

Place the pieces skin-side up on a rack over a tray and dry completely — ideally overnight in the fridge, then finish in a low oven (90°C) for 1–2 hours until pale, rigid, and brittle.

Heat neutral oil to 200–220°C. Drop in a few pieces at a time — they should puff and blister instantly. Remove once golden and drain on paper towels.

While hot, sprinkle with salt or Tajín. Let cool and crisp fully, then break into bite-size chunks.

Pop 60–70g popcorn kernels in a large pot with a little oil until the popping slows. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Melt 3 tbsp butter and stir in lime zest, 2–3 tsp Tajín, a pinch of salt, and a handful of blitzed chicharron crumbs (keep some chunks whole for texture).

Drizzle the Tajín butter over the popcorn, add the chicharron chunks, toss well, and finish with a little extra Tajín and lime zest. Serve immediately alongside guacamole.