The Ultimate Crunchy, Salty Party Appetizer

By Liliana Moyano for Shine Latina

Chicharrón served with green chile salsa to dip.
Chicharrón served with green chile salsa to dip.

My papito was a professional eater and a cooking aficionado, and I take after his genes. When we lived in Colombia, we enjoyed great, cooking parties regularly, but my favorite feasts had little to do with the actual meals. It would start when my mom asked my Dad to get more ice or beer. My father, then, would immediately call my name and ask me to come along; I knew exactly why. On the way to the store, we'd stop at the fritangueria (a place to get fried treats like pork, meat and sausages) and order chicharrón with sausage and green chile salsa. It was all about the fun of having to eat our goodies quickly and get back before my mom got suspicious.

To this day, I am the biggest chicharrón fan, to the point that I learned how to make them and created the best, homemade chile verde dipping sauce to go along with them. It's a super simple recipe with few ingredients, and it makes for the perfect snack or party appetizer.

Enjoy!

Sizzling pork belly.
Sizzling pork belly.

Ingredients
(4 servings)
½ lb. pork belly, sliced about 1-2" thick
Sea salt to taste
¼ bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 can diced jalapeños
3 garlic cloves
¼ cup white vinegar
3 tbsp. olive oil



Try this dish with my light empanadas for a nice round of party appetizers

Directions

Place the pork belly in a pan

set at medium heat, and season with sea salt to taste. Do not add any additional grease or oil. Let the pork belly cook on each side for 12-15 minutes or until golden. Do not turn more than once.

While the pork is cooking, mix the cilantro, jalapeños, garlic, white vinegar, olive oil and salt to taste in a blender. Mix until the ingredients become a green paste. Once the chicharrón finishes cooking, cut into bite-size pieces, and serve with the sauce on the side.

For content that speaks to you, visit Shine Latina