Published: · Updated: by Mely Martínez
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Pressed pork (called Chicharrón Prensado in Spanish) isone of those Mexican foods that can easily be made at home, even though manypeople might not realize it. I found out how to make it by accident one-dayseveral years ago, when, after making carnitas, I decided to store theleftovers using my vacuum sealing machine.
Carnitas into chicharrón prensado
I just placed the pieces of the tender,golden meat along with the fat drippings inside the plastic bag and didn’tthink about it for about 3 days, until I decided to bring it out of the fridge inorder to cook it with salsa verde. When I opened the bag I was surprised to seethat it actually resembled the look of the pressed pork, and once I tried it,it hit me! It all made sense, that’s why it is called pressed pork!
In Mexico, chicharron prensado is sold by the pound atmunicipal markets, butcher shops, and chain supermarkets. It usually has around shape and sometimes is really big. It is made out of leftover porkcracklings, which are sometimes fried again before being pressed down to removethe excess fat.
There is also an adobado pressed pork version; if you wouldlike to try to make it adobado, add half a cup of theadobo salsa(you can findthe recipe on the blog) to the meat, and mix well prior to pressing the porkcarnitas.
How to make Carnitas into chicharrón prensado
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INSTRUCTIONS:
- Chop the meat into 1-in pieces and place in aplastic bag, season with salt if needed, or wrap the meat with a cheesecloth very tightly.
- Using a rubber band, kitchen twine, or a twisttie, tie the bag or cheesecloth close.
- Press the bag into a saucepan or glass pan togive it the cylindrical shape. Make sure the meat is pressed down tightly.
- Place a plate over it and top with a heavyobject to apply pressure.
- Leave the meat to compress overnight, and thenremove the bag from the saucepan and refrigerate.
Now, they are ready to be enjoyed cooked withgreen salsa, guajillo salsa, and the like, or even stuffed in some gorditas.
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Provecho!
Mely,
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📖 Recipe
Carnitas into chicharron prensado
Mely Martínez
Pressed pork (called Chicharrón Prensado in Spanish) isone of those Mexican foods that can easily be made at home, even though manypeople might not realize it. I found out how to make it by accident one-dayseveral years ago, when, after making carnitas.
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Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Resting Time 8 hours hrs
Total Time 8 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
Course Pork
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 16 servings
Calories 130 kcal
Ingredients
- 2 Pounds pork carnitas
- Salt to season
Instructions
Chop the meat into 1-in pieces and place in a plastic bag, season with salt if needed (carnitas are already salted), or wrap the meat with a cheesecloth very tightly.
Using a rubber band, kitchen twine, or a twist tie, tie the bag or cheesecloth close.
Press the bag into a saucepan or glass pan to give it the cylindrical shape. Make sure the meat is pressed down tightly.
Place a plate over it and top with a heavy object to apply pressure (cans of soup work great for this purpose).
Leave the meat to compress overnight, and then remove the bag from the saucepan and refrigerate.
Now, they are ready to be enjoyed cooked with green salsa, guajillo salsa, and the like, or even stuffed in some gorditas.
Notes
- This recipe makes 2 lbs.
- This preparation needs 24hrs of resting period.
- If you live in an area with a large Latino population, chances are the local latin stores sell pork carnitas during the weekends. You can also use the store bought carnitas to prepare this recipe.
- You can also use cheesecloth to form and wrap the meat, that way it will drip more of the fat.
Nutrition
Serving: 2ozCalories: 130kcalProtein: 14gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 333mgPotassium: 196mgVitamin A: 5IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 10mgIron: 0.8mg
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Tom
Mely,
There are few Mexican markets close to me, so I may try to make this, One thing was not clear in your instructions. Should it be refrigerated during the overnight that the pressure is being applied? I would think yes, but your instructions don't explicitly say that but mention refrigeration AFTER the pressure. Looking forward to trying this as I need some for other recipes I want to try!!Reply
Mely Martínez
Hello Tom,
Excellent question, I usually do not refrigerate, but that will depend on how much fat your meat has since the fat helps preserve it. I just want to make it clear that this is not the traditional way the commercial "Chicharron Prensado" is done in Mexico. It is only a homemade version that renders great results. I hope you like it.Happy Cooking!
Mely
Reply
Jorge
So are you saying you leave the cooked pork carnitas out overnight while pressing? This is not dangerous? 🤔 Asking for a friend...
Reply
Mely Martínez
Hello Jorge, Please tell your friend that it is NOT dangerous, the pork meat carnitas have lots of fat that help preserve them. Claro, queue si vives en un ambiente de mucho calor y tropical, lo puedes dejar en el refrigerador.
Reply
Dora G.
How do I buy the carnitas, (chicharron) from the meat market?
Reply
Mely Martínez
Hello Dora,
If you have a Latin store nearby, and that store happens to have a butcher section. Tell the butcher to sell you a little bit of everything, the tender skin (cueritos), buche, nana and or course maciza. I hope you understand.Reply
Gene
This sounds interesting, but it’s new to me. How is Chicharrón Prensado cooked, served, eaten? Gracias
Reply
mmartinez
Hello Gene,
Chicharron prensado is prepared with salsas sort of a stew. See this link:
http://bit.ly/2H9l0kDReply
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