Chicharrón Pinwheels with Fresh Guacamole
This chicharron recipe starts with inch thick strips of skin on pork belly, scored deep on the meat side, seasoned and rolled into little wheels. Two toothpicks hold each one together and they go straight over charcoal at 350. The fat renders, the skin goes crispy, and you eat them with fresh guacamole.
What Goes Into Chicharrón Pinwheels
| Ingredient | Notes |
|---|---|
| Pork belly | Two pounds, skin on, cut into inch thick long strips. |
| Kosher salt | On the meat side and again on the skin. |
| Carne asada or your favorite meat seasoning | I used ancho chili seasoning. |
| Wooden toothpicks | Two long ones per pinwheel. |
| Avocados, tomato, yellow onion, serrano, cilantro | The guacamole. |
| Lime and salt | To taste in the guacamole. |
Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.
Score Deep, But Not Through the Skin
Lay each strip skin side down and score the meat across the strip, making deep cuts close together. Cut deep but stop before you go through the skin.
That’s the whole thing that makes a pinwheel possible. Pork belly skin doesn’t bend, and a solid strip of it will fight you the entire time you try to roll it. The cuts on the meat side let the strip flex and curl while the skin stays in one piece on the outside.
Deep cuts, close together, don’t skimp here. Shallow scoring won’t give you enough give and you’ll end up with a loose wheel that comes apart on the grill.
The skin has to stay intact though. That unbroken sheet on the outside is what turns crispy, and once you cut through it you’ve got a strip of pork belly instead of a chicharrón.
The Toothpick Trick
Pork belly skin is thick and you will not get a toothpick through it cleanly. Don’t try.
Start the toothpick through the meat side instead, where the meat is exposed between the rolls. As you curl the belly into the wheel there’s enough exposed meat in there for the toothpick to pass through and catch, and that’s what holds the whole thing together.
Two long ones per pinwheel. One will let it unwind on you.
How I Made the Chicharrón Pinwheels
I laid each strip skin side down and scored the meat across the strip.
I seasoned the meat side with salt and ancho chili seasoning.
I laid it flat and curled it into a tight little wheel, skin on the outside.
I ran two long toothpicks through to hold it.
I seasoned the outside skin with salt.
I put them on the charcoal grill over direct heat.
I flipped them often so they cooked evenly and the skin crisped all the way around.
I cooked them until the fat had rendered and the skin was golden and crispy.
I pulled them off and let them rest before cutting in.
Times and temps are all in the recipe card.
Watch Those Flare-Ups
Pro tip and this one’s important. Pork belly has a lot of fat, and it’s all going to render out and land on hot charcoal. That means flare-ups, and they come up fast.
Stay at the grill. Don’t walk away from these. Keep flipping them and keep moving them around to different spots so no one area gets going. If the flames do jump, move the pinwheels off that spot rather than trying to fight the fire.
This is the part of the cook that needs you standing there.
The Guacamole
I put three medium avocados in a bowl with a diced tomato, a quarter of a yellow onion, a diced serrano and about a tablespoon of finely chopped cilantro.
I added lime juice and salt to taste.
I mixed it gently, leaving some texture in the avocado.
I covered it and put it in the fridge until the pork belly was ready.
Author’s Notes
Pork Belly Is Just Wonderful
Take out the pork belly, go ahead and let her rest before you go ahead and cut right into it.
You can even serve it on a taco, you can serve it on a sandwich. The skin is nice and crispy. You can also serve it with your favorite side or a different salsa, and this is just perfect for lunch or dinner. You can also serve it with a side of beans, rice, whatever you want.
Pork belly is just wonderful. I mean, all that crispy skin and the fat just keeps it nice and juicy. It’s just so good.
Miguel
Miguel’s Tips
- Score deep, not through. The skin stays whole.
- Toothpicks through the meat, not the skin. Two per wheel.
- Salt the skin separately. It’s seasoned on the meat side already.
- Flip constantly. Even cook, crispy all the way around, and it manages the flare-ups.
- Rest before you cut. Same as any pork.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why not just fry them?
You can, and most chicharrón recipes do. Grilling over charcoal gets you the same crispy skin plus smoke and char you can’t get out of a fryer.
What if the skin won’t crisp?
Usually the heat’s too low, or it’s not getting direct contact long enough on each side. Keep flipping and keep it over the coals.
Can I use a different seasoning?
Any carne asada or meat seasoning works. I used ancho chili. Salt the skin on its own either way.
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- Mexican Style Smoked Burgers
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Chicharrón Pinwheels with Fresh Guacamole
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Place each pork belly strip skin side down. Using a sharp knife, score the meat across the strip with deep cuts close together. Cut deep into the meat but do not cut through the skin. This is what lets the strip curl while the skin stays in one piece.
- Season the meat side with salt and your favorite carne asada or meat seasoning.
- Lay the seasoned strip flat and curl it into a tight little wheel, keeping the skin on the outside.
- Secure each pinwheel with two long wooden toothpicks. Do not force them through the skin. Start them through the meat side where the meat is exposed between the rolls, and there will be enough exposed meat to catch and hold the wheel together.
- Season the outside skin generously with salt.
- Preheat a charcoal barrel grill to approximately 350°F. Place the pinwheels directly over the charcoal and cook over direct heat.
- Flip them frequently so they cook evenly on all sides and the skin crisps all the way around. Pork belly renders a lot of fat onto hot charcoal, so expect flare ups. Stay at the grill, keep flipping, and move the pinwheels away from any flames rather than fighting them.
- Continue until the pork belly is cooked through, the fat has rendered and the skin is golden and crispy.
- While the pork belly cooks, add the avocados, diced tomato, yellow onion, Serrano and cilantro to a bowl. Add lime juice and salt to taste and mix gently, leaving some texture in the avocado. Cover and refrigerate until the pork is ready.
- Pull the pinwheels off the grill and let them rest before cutting into them. Remove the toothpicks and slice if you like. Serve with the fresh guacamole and your favorite salsa.
