Cracklins
"Cracklins" are the crispy bits of pork skin and fat left after rendering lard. In Appalachian and Southern cooking, they’re eaten hot as a snack or stirred into cornbread for extra flavor.
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Hillbilly Dude Says...
We make 'pork cracklins' in a slow cooker to render lard, and they're good eatin' with some salt. Hillbilly Dude Says...
We make 'pork cracklins' in a slow cooker to render lard, and they're good eatin' with some salt. Pronunciation
[CRACK-linz]
Meaning & Usage
- Crispy pork skin and fat (noun)
Mae:
What’s in the skillet?
What’s in the skillet?
Earl:
Fresh cracklins - try one.
Fresh cracklins - try one.- A cooking ingredient, often in cornbread (noun)
Mae:
What makes this bread so good?
What makes this bread so good?
Earl:
It’s cracklins baked in.
It’s cracklins baked in.variations: cracklings
★ Don’t confuse fresh cracklins with store-bought pork rinds. Cracklins are denser, meatier, and often fried right after the lard’s been rendered. ★
Origin and Etymology
From traditional hog butchering, where every part of the animal was used. Cracklins were the crunchy treat that came from rendering lard. The name comes from the crackling sound they make in hot fat.
Usage Notes
Still beloved in Appalachian and Southern cooking. Found at hog killings, in country kitchens, and in old-time recipes like cracklin cornbread. Some folks buy them bagged today, but fresh cracklins are the real prize.
Say It Like a Southerner
Said plain: "crack-linz." Sometimes stretched in the hills: "crack-luns."