By no means could I be considered an expert judge. I have no Cajun blood that I know of in my lineage. I have only been eating these delicious fried pork morsels for a few years. I've never attempted to cook them - this is not advised for the casual cook.
All I know is that I love them.
This article by Chere' Coen from 2019 is an excellent one to read to learn about cracklins. She details the history, the cooking process, and discusses various places to purchase cracklins in the Acadiana area. The accompanying photos made my mouth water. Coen writes:
The Cajun boucherie dates back centuries, a communal hog butchering where careful attempts were made to use every inch of the animal to adequately feed the coterie. Usually held in cold weather months, the boucherie produced items for backbone stew, sausage such as andouille and boudin, ham hocks, bacon and pork roasts, among other pork products.
Even the skin of the pig was used. Called grattons in French, or by the more popular name of crackling or cracklin’, South Louisiana residents drop the pig skin with fat and sometimes meat attached into vats of hog lard. The frying time varies per cook but most know cracklings are done when they pop and form “eyes” and float to the surface. Some cooks pull the cracklings from the fat and allow them to cool before deep-frying them a second time at a higher temperature. Once doused with seasoning, the final product becomes a crispy, tasty snack.
Cracklins are a very personal thing, I think. Everyone has different preferences. Some people prefer them crispier, more like a pork rind. Others want just salt and pepper seasoning while others still want a cayenne kick. For me, so far, my favorite has to be Kartchner's in Krotz Springs for freshness, seasoning, size, and the perfect meat to fat ration. They check all the boxes on that score.
The perfect cracklin for me is one that is right out of the fryer so that that pocket of grease right under the crispy outer skin just pops as soon as you bite into it. It has a fairly even meat to fat ratio and is spicy and well seasoned.I do not want those cracklins that have been under the heat lamp for three hours and are dry as dust.
Cracklins are so popular throughout Acadiana that nearly everyone sells them or at least has incorporated them into a recipe or two. The very popular Little Big Cup restaurant in Arnaudville, La. has cracklins on their buffet and on their appetizer menu you will find "Cracklin' dusted Mac 'n Cheese Balls. Delicious!
There are even quick stops that sell nothing but cracklins and maybe boudin and boudin balls as well. Hebert's and Billy's are popular and both have several locations. Kartchner's in Krotz Springs is right on the highway and is a quick in and out for almost everyone on US Hwy 90 heading toward Baton Rouge. They also have a couple of other locations.
Port Barre in St. Landry Parish hosts the Cracklin Festival in November each year. Started in 1985, the festival is a fundraiser for the local Lions Club. I have never attended the festival because as I said, I'm a relative novice to cracklins, but I fully intend to go this year! In fact, I was personally invited by Ms. Cracklin 2023! (Yes, I know...it is literally her job to encourage people to attend; I choose to be honored by the invitation anyway.)
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| Chicken and Waffles |
In the end, I think probably the best chance I have for finding the perfect cracklin is to either go to a true boucherie or to the Cracklin Festival where they have a cracklin cookoff. I'll happily be a judge, just ask me! Otherwise, I'll have to continue driving all over Acadiana eating every piece of fried pork belly under every heat lamp I can find.
I am fine with that, too.
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