Pig Head: Part Two

Earlier this week I posted the beginning of my pig head adventure, the process of separating the head into its various useful parts. The brain and bones were the first to be put to use.

Today's project is a nice little appetizer that utilizes the ears. Pig's ears are not just for dogs anymore.

Basically these are something like a chicharron, or pork rind, with a lovely little layer of meat in between. They're quick and simple to make, and they're delicious.

Start by washing the ears and removing any hair you see. You can do this by shaving or burning. Burning is the easiest method, but be careful not to scorch the skin. Make sure your pig ears are nice and dry.

Using a good sharp knife, or kitchen scissors, cut the ears into half-inch wide strips. Or, if you want to make them into "chips" cut them into squares. You'll get more pieces if you do strips though.

Heat some cooking fat in a deep pan or fryer. I used lard, but tallow or coconut oil will work as well.

Carefully add your ear strips into the hot oil, just a few at a time. Let them cook until they start to crisp and they curl up. Remove them from the hot oil and drain on a paper towel or coffee filter.

When all of your strips are fried and drained, give them all another dunk in the oil, frying for another minute until they're golden and crispy.

You could probably eat these with any sort of dip. I used a mixture of mayonnaise and hot sauce, and it tasted fantastic. These are ideal for any sort of Primal party. I'm thinking they'd make a great snack for a football game or Nascar race. Trust me, they beat the crap out of any tortilla chip.