Chicharron Prensado Gorditas
One of the things that I crave the most while I’m not in Mexico is a “Gordita de chicharron”, now this chicharron is not the crispy pork rinds that you may know, this one is called chicharron prensado and yes it’s made out of crispy rinds but also of the pork meat attached to them , kind of like a heavenly combination of crispy rinds and carnitas.
So Chicharron Prensado is then compressed and sold by the kilo in supermarkets or markets in Mexico, this is ready to be taken home and be cooked in a green salsa or red homemade salsa.
A “gordita” is a stuffed masa pocket shaped kind of like a pita, filled with this kind of chicharron and a very popular choice for street food, the one that I can’t wait to have as soon as I’m in Mexico.
I always have a list of things that I want to eat when I’m there and this Gordita is always at the top of my list :)
So this is a recipe to make that lovely chicharron and I recommend that you freeze any leftovers, as a little chicharron goes a long way when cooked. Also it takes a bit of time to prepare but is not a difficult process just a lengthy one that is worth all the effort , but you want to make sure that you can enjoy this more than once.
Another little note is that you can use either pork belly or pork shoulder, I have used both and I personally prefer pork shoulder as you get more of the lovely meat and less of the fat, although not that you have to worry about it much when you are a chicharron lover :)
Makes about 11 gorditas.
Ingredients:
FOR THE CHICHARRON PRENSADO:
1kg boneless pork shoulder or pork belly with rind.
2 tsp maldon salt.
1 tbsp olive oil.
5 garlic cloves, (peeled) .
2 bay leaves.
1 tsp black peppercorns.
1 tsp salt.
1 to 1.5 lt of water.
SALSA VERDE:
1 tbsp olive oil.
1 onion, diced.
3 jalapeños or serrano chillies, roughly chopped.
340 grams of tinned tomatillos.
2 tbsp fish sauce or tamari sauce.
60 grams of wild garlic, coriander or parsley.
Salt and black pepper fro seasoning.
CORIANDER GORDITAS:
2 cups of corn flour, (masa de harina to make corn tortillas).
1 tsp salt.
2 tbsp olive oil.
1 1/3 cups of hot water, (approx. add little by little).
Handful of coriander finely chopped.
Method.
CHICHARRON PRENSADO:
Season your pork belly or pork shoulder with salt. Prepare a frying pan with a bit of olive il and once hot enough sear your pork with the skin facing down to begin with. Make sure it gets a good colour all the way round.
Then place your piece of pork in the slow cooker and add the whole garlic cloves, black peppercorns, bay leaves and a pinch of salt, cook on high for 3 hours or until the meat falls apart.
Once your pork is very tender remove it from the slow cooker and chop into smaller pieces.
Prepare a frying pan again and get ready to brown your pork one more time, you want the fatty bits to become crispy and delicious.
Taste and add more seasoning if necessary, now let it cool down and divide into two parts, put away half in a sealed ziplock bag and place it in the freezer for another recipe.
Reserve the remaining chicharron, is ready to be used.
*Note: If you haven't got a slow cooker you can do the same in a baking dish covered with tin foil, and cooked slowly at 160 C for 3 hours until it falls apart.
SALSA VERDE:
In a medium size saucepan add a little bit of oil , once hot enough add the onion and fry gently until it becomes translucent. Then add in the jalapeños and fry for a minute, pour the tomatillos in and brake them into the pan roughly with the help of a wooden spoon, stir.
Add the fish sauce and two ladles of the cooking liquid where you cooked your pork. Season with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper, let it simmer on low and cover with a lid for 10 minutes approx.
Finally remove from the heat and add in the wild garlic, let it wilt with the heat of the sauce and place all the mixture into the blender, blend really smooth and taste, adjust seasoning if necessary.
Add the salsa verde into the pan with the chicharron, let it cook briefly and it’s ready to be used.
CORIANDER GORDITAS:
In a bowl add the corn flour, salt and olive oil, slowly pour in the hot water and mix first with a wooden spoon. Once is less hot to handle, mix the masa with your hands and add more water if necessary, your masa should be moist and soft, but not sticky.
Add in the coriander and knead briefly with your hands integrating all the coriander in.
Make a masa ball with your hands and then shape into a disc by passing from one hand to the other, once you have a little practice you can do this more quickly, make sure your disc is not too thick in the edges or the centre. (if your discs breaks in the edges easily it means your masa might need a bit more water).
Then place your masa disc over a hot non stick pan and warm ups for a couple of minutes on each side, then remove from the pan and with a sharp pairing knife create a pocket inside your disc, making sure you make enough room to add a filling.
Repeat the same process with the rest of the gorditas.
Once your gorditas are ready fill with the chicharron in salsa verde and warm them up again over a hot pan, then serve and enjoy !
