Recipe for Chocolate-Dipped Pork Rinds

Show True Love: Make Chocolate-Covered Chicharrones

February 10, 2012

Of all the crazy chocolates I've seen — among them, wasabi pea chocolate and soy-sauce-flavored Kit Kat — the most intriguing I tried was Xocolatl de David's Chicharrón Chocolate Bar. I loved the concept of crunchy mixed into smooth, savory blended with sweet, and yet I found myself wishing for more pork rind.

That's when I dreamt up my perfect chocolate snack: Chicharrónes, or deep-fried pig skins, halfway hand-dipped into semisweet chocolate. The result is simple perfection. Smoky, porky, cheese puff-like awesomeness commingled with just the right amount of smooth chocolate. Any omnivorous man (or woman) would be crazy not to love this. Get the recipe now.

From Susannah Chen

Chocolate-Dipped Chicharrónes

Recipe for Chocolate-Dipped Pork Rinds 2011-02-09 12:42:35

Ingredients

1 bag (about 4 ounces) pork rinds
10-12 ounces high-quality semisweet chocolate chips, such as Ghirardelli
Cayenne pepper (optional), for sprinkling

Directions

Set up a double boiler: Heat a large saucepan filled with water over high heat; once it boils, reduce heat to a simmer. Set a heatproof bowl atop the simmering water. Add the chocolate and stir until completely melted.
Cover two sheet pans with wax or parchment paper. Using clean hands, carefully dip each pork rind halfway into the melted chocolate, turning if necessary to coat the rind on all sides. Shake well to remove excess chocolate, and transfer to the lined sheet pan. Repeat with entire bag of pork rinds.
If desired, sprinkle pan lightly with cayenne pepper for a spicy kick.
Allow to cool slightly, then refrigerate as-is on the sheet pan to harden chocolate. Once frozen, gather pork skins and store them in a freezer bag.

Makes about 30 chocolate-dipped pork rinds.