Pork rinds are really a maligned snack.
It may seem gross to eat pork rinds to some, but if you eat bacon or pork chops or ham it is no grosser than eating those. Basically it is fried pork skin. Most of the fat gets rendered and it puffs up into a crunchy, airy snack! It has 0… ZERO carbs. It does have about 5 grams of fat per serving but consider a pat of butter is 12 grams. I’ll repeat again… ZERO CARBS!
It’s a versatile snack! You can do a lot with it! Especially when you are first starting a low carb lifestyle… pork rinds are a saver for those chip and cracker cravings! Heck they are good even if you have been low carbing for a while!
It’s a versatile ingredient! You can replace breadcrumbs with pork rinds too!
Eat them Out of the Bag
There are all different kinds of pork rinds. The best is the plain where the tasty bacony flavor can really be tasted. There are also barbeque, hot, salt & peper and salt & vinegar varieties as well as some other types of gourmet flavors for those wanting to switch up the flavors.
Eat them Fresh
Some restaurants, fairs, markets and flea markets have fresh pork rinds. More and more restaurants are using them as appetizers or sides. We get them at one of my favorite restaurants as a replacement for french fries and onion rings. At two different restaurants recently, we were able to get them as a really great appetizer with a cheese dip. Gotta love the South! I’m not sure if they do that in other parts of the country yet. They might and I look forward to finding them!
Too, some groceries carry a brand that you can microwave for fresh, hot pork rinds. (See below.)
Eat them with a Dip
We have made “nachos” with pork rinds and have used it with every cheese and dip we can think of:
- Cheese Dip (any kind)
- Cheese Ball
- French Onion Dip
- Spinach Dip
- Artichoke Dip
- Bacon Horsesradish Dip
- Smoked Salmon Dip
- The list goes on…
You name it, we have probably tried it! Don’t be shy. Give it a test run. If you don’t like it, move to something else! I’ve not quite gotten courage enough to try peanut butter or almond butter yet, but that day is probably coming!
I usually also serve celery if I’m also using pork rinds with dips.
Use them in Recipes
You will find many recipes requiring breadcrumbs either in (like meatloaf) or on top (like casseroles). Simply replace with crushed pork rinds!
Put pork rinds in a large freezer bag. Crush them with a rolling pin (or I have used a can of tomatoes in a pinch). Once crushed, use the right measurements in the recipe that you would for breadcrumbs. It is that simple!
Keep them on hand!
My favorite are the barrels of Utz Pork Rinds. You can find all sorts of brands in your grocery, but Utz gives me the volume needed for munching and recipes and also doesn’t stick in my mouth like some do. I also like Lowrey’s Microwave Pork Rinds!! There is nothing like fresh cooked pork rinds!
ENJOY!
