Pork scratchings vs crackling

Sunbed · 18 Dec 2014 at 13:28

Until yesterday I thought these were the same thing, but as I walked down the beer aisle I noticed a bag of 'Pub Original Pork scratchings' on one side and the same brand of 'Pork Crackling' on the other. In my bemusement I bought a bag of each for thorough examination later that evening.

I expected the crackling to be harder, and the scratching to be puffier. I simply thought the latter was a worse quality version of the teeth-shatteringly yet succulent crackling you can make from a gammon joint. However, I was completely wrong! It turns out the crackling is the puffy one and the scratchings were the crunchier, rindier one. They had one thing in common though - they were both delicious. Dear Freshers Foods Ltd in Wigan - you make excellent pork based snacks.

After further research, I discovered there is a clear difference between the two:

There are three distinct types. Traditional scratchings are made from shank rind and cooked just once. Pork crackling is also made from shoulder rind, but is fried twice. It is first rendered at a low heat, and then cooked at a higher temperature for a less fatty, crispier result. A more recent development is the pork crunch, which is made from back rind and again double-fried to become a large, puffy snack. Some supermarkets now sell just the layer of skin and fat (no meat), in a raw form for home grilling or roasting, or cooked and ready to eat from hot food counters. The term 'crackling' is also often applied to a twice-cooked variety of pork scratchings.

My preference is the scratchings, simply because they taste fattier. However, each piece of the crackling came with its fair share of softer, fatty tissue so I wasn't disappointed.

So, what is your preference? Pork scratchings, crackling, or this new thing I haven't had before... Pork crunch??!

oHUTCHYo · 18 Dec 2014 at 13:53

An enjoyable yet informative post!

Crackling for me then, especially the ones from the bottom of the bag covered in the most flavouring. However at the ripe old age of 32 I try not to touch the stuff now at the risk of breaking my jaw or losing all of my teeth

cheesyboy · 18 Dec 2014 at 14:16

I buy big bags of Scratching from a butchers on the high street some lunch times. £1.50 for a bag which takes me 2 lunchtimes to get through - delicious too. Had some just a few minutes ago

From the supermarket, I do like the "pork crunch", which is an easier proposition for eating, doing away with the hard rind as it does. Supermarket scratchings tend to be disappointing in comparison to the ones from the butchers (you sometimes get good ones from pubs), so I tend to avoid.

Egon · 18 Dec 2014 at 14:32

Neither... it's the devil's food

pitchfork · 18 Dec 2014 at 15:04

I just buy them at the pub and munch them down while smoking and drinking for maximum health effect.

tom_e · 18 Dec 2014 at 15:07

Nothing better than a pint of proper beer and a bag of hog lumps, preferably in a pub with a roaring wood fire.

Guerrilla · 18 Dec 2014 at 15:17

I'm not too fussy they are all delicious... Only beaten by the freshly cooked 'crackling' on a piece of belly pork, that is heavenly!

Bubo · 18 Dec 2014 at 15:17

It's about time Pizza chains started offering pork scratchings as a topping if you ask me. Love the stuff.

tom_e · 18 Dec 2014 at 15:19

Bubo said:
It's about time Pizza chains started offering pork scratchings as a topping if you ask me. Love the stuff.

I like my pizzas soft and my scratchings teeth shatteringly hard it would never work, you're quite obviously mental

Also there's a very real danger of you just ending up with soggy pig fat on top of your pizza :eek:

Sunbed · 18 Dec 2014 at 15:27

Bubo said:
It's about time Pizza chains started offering pork scratchings as a topping if you ask me. Love the stuff.

I recently turbocharged a pizza by throwing away the cheap salami and replaced it with 1cm thick slabs of black pudding.

I called it the Swanson pizza.

tom_e · 18 Dec 2014 at 15:29

Sunbed said:
I recently turbocharged a pizza by throwing away the cheap salami and replaced it with 1cm thick slabs of black pudding.

I called it the Swanson pizza.

You are a God amongst men, I'm actually ashamed of myself for never considering black pudding on a pizza.

cheesyboy · 18 Dec 2014 at 15:50

Sunbed said:
I recently turbocharged a pizza by throwing away the cheap salami and replaced it with 1cm thick slabs of black pudding.

I called it the Swanson pizza.

That does sound good.

Last week, I added tinned sardines (in oil) lightly smeared with absurdly hot chilli sauce to a plain frozen stonebaked margarita. It was earth-shatteringly good. I've not been able to stop thinking about it since.

tom_e · 18 Dec 2014 at 15:59

My housemate makes a mean duck pizza, cheap own brand margarita stonebaked as a base, with a box of crispy duck, some shredded spring onions, plenty of hoisin sauce and a nice big extra helping of mozzarella. Absolutely amazing.

molinari · 18 Dec 2014 at 16:20

Interesting.
Crackling always has and always will be to me, the layer of skin you get on a piece of pork, which you remove after cooking the meat, and then stick under the grill or back in the oven to crisp up. Again, scratchings have always been the small pieces of puffed and crisped up skin that I've been eating in the pub for the last 20+ years.
Anyway, hot crunchy crackling is the one I love more.

tom_e · 18 Dec 2014 at 16:23

I can't remember where I had them but warm lightly spiced scratchings are amazing.