DJIMIRINKI (CRACKLINGS) - BALKAN PORK SPECIALTY

Have you ever tried djimirinki (cracklings)? Djimirinki (also known as chvarci) are made from finely chopped pieces of pork bacon that melts in a larger fire pot. They are a kind of pork 'crisps', with fat thermally extracted from the lard.
During the preparation, the fat is removed from the bacon, and the pieces of meat are left to fry and dry.
It is recommended to eat them warm combined with red wine.


Ingredients:

• 5 kg bacon
• 1 liter water
• 2 teaspoons salt

Preparation:

1. Wash the bacon well with water to remove any blood.
2. Cut bacon into cubes with size 2 x 2 cm. Place the cubes in a deeper pot and add about 1 liter of water so about 3/4 of the pieces of bacon would be immersed.
3. Put the pot on a strong fire until the water starts to boil and stir occasionally to avoid burning. When water starts to boil, lower the temperature and continue to boil at moderate temperatures again with occasional stirring. During this time the liquid will first become blurry (emulsion from grease and water), and then it will be become clear and it will turn into a fat which you'll later use instead of cooking oil.
   
4. After about 2-3 hours when the liquid becomes clear, drain the fat in another pot. Continue to fry the cracklings in the same pot until they get a nice golden-brown color. Remember to stir constantly so they don't burn.
5. When the cracklings get their color, again remove the fat and continue to fry them for 10 more minutes.
6. After frying, squeeze them again to drain as much ointment as possible.
7. Transfer the squeezed djimirinki into a separate dish and add the salt and mix well. Serve them hot.

Enjoy!