Up here? Chittlins? I have no idea. But, I don't get to the city much. And when I do I get back home as soon as I can. But, if you are serious and you are coming up here I can ask some friends in Portland, OR for restaurant suggestions.......Oorang
Well, I just got back from 2 weeks in the British Virgin Islands and one week in Miami so I got my "fix" of chicharrones down there including a pilgrimage to Versailles. :-)
Now, about chicharrones, cracklin' and chittlins......
As I understand it, cracklin' is the crispy pork skin that you get from roasting a whole pig. At a Southern pig pickin', you pull it off the pig when it's done, you chop it up and you put it out so everyone can help themselves to a piece.
The cracklin' is what Cubans call chicharrones.
Of course, there is "real" cracklin' and chicharrones that you get straight from the pig at a Southern or Cuban pig roast and then there is the "store-bought" stuff that you buy in a bag labelled "pork rinds" that it absolutely identical to the store-bought chicharrones.
Now, again, as I understand it, "chittlins" is pork intestines.
Cubans don't do intestines be they fried or boiled. (If some guajirros do intestines, then I stand corrected but no Cuban that I know does intestines.) When you have a Cuban pig roasting, you have paid a guy good money to butcher your pig and dispose of that stuff.
The Mexicans do intestines and they call it "menudo".
As far as chicharrones is concerned, you can find them in the "Ethnic Food" section of our local Safeway about ten feet north of the cans of Mexican "menudo" which I have never tried and probably never will.
I have yet to find a Cuban restaurant in Washington State. If you want Cuban food, you can FreepMail me ahead of time and eat at my house.
That invitation is directed at you, Oorang.
If you are coming out here, Luis, you need to try the local stuff. You can always get Cuban food back in Florida.
May I suggest we start with some geoduck sushi appetizers......
YOU WERE IN MIAMI FOR A WEEK?
AND YOU DIDN'T LET ME KNOW!?!?!?!?!
I love cracklin and remember my Mom and Grandmother making it when a hog was butchered. But, now I am confused.
I thought that the crispy pork skin was pork rinds and cracklin was from rendering leaf lard (the fat around the pig's kidneys). This fat was the best of the best and the lard you got was only used for pie crust or any fine pastry. The "crunchies" left from the rendering were the cracklins that were much smaller (and better) than the rinds.
Anyone else remember this from days of yore?