I don’t have much interest in football, but I’m seriously keen on pig skin, which is surprisingly hard to get.  That’s because butchers rarely use the old fashioned processing method of scalding a pig to remove the hairs and make the skin a viable product.  Most butchers today simply cut the skin away.  But if you ever get a chance to try it…Don’t miss it!  It will quite possibly be one of the finest meals you’ve ever had….  Especially prepared this way, which was inspired by Bruce Aidells’s Complete Book of Pork.

For the pig skins:

2 pounds pig skin, cut into 1 inch strips

2 tablespoons baking soda

2 teaspoons salt

Coarse salt for sprinkling

 

Put the skins into a soup pot, cover with water and simmer 60-90 minutes, until tender.  Then lay them, fat-side-down, on a baking sheet.  Sprinkle them with the coarse salt and bake 20-30 min at 425 degrees, until crispy. If they are undercooked, they will stick to the pan.  When they’re done, they can be easily pried free in one piece with a spatula.  Serve them warm or at room temperature with the sour cream dip, below.  If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container and reheat them for about 5 minutes in a 300 degree oven before serving again.

 

For the Sour Cream Dip

1 cup sour cream

1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic

1/2 teaspoon ground celery powder

 

Mix the ingredients in a bowl and serve.

 

With vodka.

 

You really don’t need anything else.