Chicharrón Prensado! What is it? Pressed pork chicharron is essentially chicharron with carnita that is fully cooked in the traditional way and then it’s pressed. Looks are deceiving when you see the block of chicharron prensado in the market. Typically packaged in 1lb blocks and vacuum sealed. Another thing that I really enjoy about using this type of chicharron is that it’s freezer friendly! I purchased 2 one pound blocks and stored them in the freezer for 4-6 months. This is just a few ways you can use this traditional ingredient for all of your favorite Mexican antojos(cravings)!
Chicharron Prensado Recipe 1!
When I pulled out the first one pound block of pressed pork chicharron, I didn’t want to spend a lot of time preparing a chile sauce or salsa to pair with it. I literally added all of my ingredients as is, no cooking, no toasting, no softening of dried chiles. I figured my vitamix blender would do it’s job and yield a perfectly smooth sauce! It did! No vitamix, no worries. Blend in stages for one minute straight each time. Two to three times should do it. In case it doesn’t, you could strain the sauce using a wire mesh strainer. That was what I used to do before I purchased my power blender. Included in the printable recipe below, I wrote two variations of the recipe. The second recipe, I used to prepare some tasty tamales. Follow the recipe below, then click here to print out recipe masa, assembling and steaming of the tamales.
Nothing Fancy, Just Fresh Tortillas!
Somedays, my only motivation to accomplish a recipe, not matter how involved in may be is to enjoy a taco with fresh made tortilla and homemade salsa! On this day, I prepared a small batch of flour tortillas just so I could pair it with that saucy chicharron prensado! It was so worth it! Delicious to stuff into gorditas( corn or flour), topping for sopes, fresh steamed tamal tamal and so much more! As soon as I publish this post, in a few minutes, I am heading to instagram to create a new reel on recipe 2! Be looking out for it later tonight!
Where Can You Purchase This?
If you are lucky enough to live in a city or town that has a well stocked Mexican market, there is a good chance that they sell this type of chicharron in the refrigerated section or at the meat counter. There are a few places online that sell this product. Google is very helpful! I believe I have also seen recipes on how to prepare chicharron prensado on You Tube. So much easier if you can find it already made though. As I stated, it’s freezer friendly too!!
Always Start With Fresh Ingredients When Possible!
Opt for fresh produce, like tomatoes instead of canned tomatoes when possible. Fresh garlic, chile peppers and dried chile pods are going to make a big difference. In my experience, I feel like the fresh ingredients yields more of that homestyle, abuelita flavor recipe! Lol! The best compliment is when someone leaves me a comment stating that my recipes remind them of their abuela(grandmother). Makes it all worthwhile.
Chicharron Tamales? I Never Heard Of Those!
Maybe you have never heard of them, but I am here to tell you you will not be disappointed! I am sitting here laughing as I am typing! Lol! I recently published a sweet pumpkin tamal recipe and the comments are still rolling in hot and heavy! The majority of the feedback has been positive, but there are those few who claim they have never heard of sweet tamales! What? As far back as I can remember, mom always prepared sweet tamales during the holidays. Simple with raisins and coconut, definitely not pumpkin, lol! I would have never known that I actually enjoyed the pumpkin tamal if I had never attempted to prepare it. For years, my followers have asked me for a pumpkin and a chocolate tamal recipe as well. But how boring it would be, as a cook, if you never challenged yourself or stepped out of your comfort zone with a different recipe?
Chicharrón Prensado. Pressed Pork Chicharron Two Ways!
Equipment
- Blender
- Large skillet
Ingredients
Chicharron Prensado Recipe 1
- 4 chile california or guajillo stems and seeds removed
- 1/2 small onion
- 3-5 cloves of garlic
- 2 serrano peppers
- 3 Roma tomatoes
- 1/2-1 tsp oregano
- 3/4 c water
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsps pork lard
- 1 lb pressed chicharron cubed
Chicharron Prensado Recipe 2
- Avocado oil
- 6-8 cloves of garlic, depending on size peeled
- 4 chile California or guajillo stems and seeds removed
- 4-6 chile de arbol stems removed
- 2 serrano peppers stems removed
- 3 Roma tomatoes
- 4 cups Water
- 1/2-1 tsp Oregano
- Salt to taste
- 1 med. white onion, sliced into thin strips
- 1 lb chicharron prensado, cubed
Instructions
Chicharron Prensado Recipe 1
- To prepare this easy salsa, add the first eight ingredients to the blender. That's right, no precooked ingredients! Secure lid and blend on high until very smooth. If you are using a power blender, such as a vitamix, there is no straining required. Otherwise, you may need to strain the sauce using a wire mesh strainer into a bowl.
- To a large skillet, preheat 2-3 tbsps of pork lard at medium heat. After a few minutes, pour in the red chile sauce from the blender into the hot oil. Essentially, you will fry the sauce/salsa to cook and develop the flavors before adding the pork.
- The sauce should thicken and reduce slightly. Make sure to taste for salt along the way.
Chicharron Prensado Recipe 2
- In a skillet at medium heat, drizzle in 1 1/2 teaspoons of oil. Add the dried chiles, serrano peppers and garlic. After a few minutes when it begins to sizzle, stir and flip ingredients for another 1-2 minutes. Pour in 1 cup of water and bring up to a light simmer. Remove from the heat and let sit for 10 minutes.
- In a separate pot, add the roma tomatoes to simmering water. Cook gently until skins from tomatoes begin to tear open. Remove from heat.
- In a large deep skillet at medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the sliced onions. Saute for 7-8 minutes or until onions begin to caramelize a bit.
- Add the cubed chicharron to the skillet with onions. Stir well to combine and let cook for 6-7 minutes.
- To the blender, add all ingredients from skillet with chiles and garlic, including the water. Add the roma tomatoes. Pour in 3/4 cup of the cooking water from the tomatoes. Add oregano and salt to taste. Blend on high until very smooth.
- Continue cooking at a steady simmer, turning heat down slightly, until the sauce reduces and chicharron becomes thick. Taste for salt. Serve as is for tacos, gorditas, sopes, burritos and more! This version, I chilled overnight and used it to prepare tamales! See link for Tamales!
Notes
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Chicharron tamales sound delicious, will try it soon. A couple years ago I ran out of meat so we made a few tamales with a half of a Hebrew National hot dog in each, my version of Mexican corn dogs. They were a hit?
Wow! Hot dogs! That’s getting creative!