Soy Chicharron Recipe - Viet World Kitchen (2024)

By Andrea Nguyen

I didn’t come up with this idea. It belongs to Seattle-basedradio show host Dick Stein. When we met up in September to tape an interviewfor KPLU, Dick said that after reading and cooking from Asian Tofu, he was inspired to buy dried tofu skin and deep fry it.The result was soy chicharron, Dick said.

You can do all kinds of amazing things with tofu skin, whichdespite its name is really the film that forms on hot soymilk. The Japanese call it yuba and the Chinese know itas doufu pior fu pi (tofu skin); in Vietnamese, tofu skin is called dau hu ky.You have likely had it at dim sum or on a Viet ride plate as a dumpling wrapper to encase a paste of shrimp; the recipe for those fried shrimp tofu skin rolls (xia fu pi juan) is on page 182 in Asian Tofu.

There are many kinds of tofu skin and basically, they differ in howdried they are. If you’re interested in extra details, I posted a tofuskin primer earlier this year and tofu guru William Shurtleff justpublished an online history ofyuba.

Dick’s tofu skin chicharrones used sheets of dried tofu skin– sold at Chinese and Vietnamese markets near the dried mushrooms. Get a flatpackage that contains the yellow pieces of tofu skin. Then get ready to fry up the skin into sparkly pieces.

The skin fries up like an Indian pappadum. No wonder, both are made from legumes.That means that it’s fast (less than 20 seconds) and easy frying (little oil isabsorbed). Be organized. Additionally, once you get the hang of it, you canbend and roll up the fried tofu skin to form arty, crazy shapes. I fried arectangular-ish piece and used chopsticks to roll it immediately after I pulledit from the oil. The result looked like a pipe and reminded tme of a deep-friedscroll of yuba that I had at a Japanese iazkaya in New York.


After frying all the tofu skin pieces, I sprinkled on lotsof fine sea salt to season them. The bubbly crisp pieces were ethereal and delightful to munchon. If you prefer to garnish with them, by all means go for it. They willsoften quickly once exposed to moisture so I’d just top foods with it at thelast minute. This evening, we broke up pieces of the tofu skin chicharron and dropped them into bowls of hot soup. They added a nice chewy texture and richness.

RECIPE

Soy Chicharron

Yield: enough for 3 to 4 people to snack on

Ingredients

  • 2 sheets dried tofu skin, each about the size of
    a manila envelope
  • Canola oil, for deep-frying
  • Fine sea salt

Instructions

  1. Break the tofu skin sheets into pieces about the
    size of the palm of your hand. Set aside. Put some paper on a baking sheet for
    draining.
  2. Heat about ¾ inch of oil in a wok or deep
    skillet to 360 to 375F (180-190C). Fry each piece of tofu skin, sliding it into
    the hot oil. Use chopsticks in one hand and a skimmer or slotted spoon in the
    other hand to turn the tofu skin over (if needed). The tofu skin will bubble
    wildly and turn opaque yellow before darkening and becoming translucent.
  3. Drain on paper towel and repeat the frying for
    the remaining tofu skin pieces. Sprinkle with lots of salt and eat. The tofu skin chicharrones
    can be fried hours in advance and kept at room temperature.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Eve

    Vegan pork rinds! I just love the concept!

  2. stein

    I am immortalized! Rolling them up with the chopstick is a great trick, Andrea. That's what I'll do from now on. Maybe around something. I dunno, shredded vegetables, maybe.

  3. Andrea Nguyen

    Yes they are. Vegan pork rinds. A wonderful and unusual confluence of terms.

  4. Andrea Nguyen

    Just roll up the skin, Dick. You have to do it as soon as the skin is lifted from the oil. There's no time to set it down and do things nicely. See the shrimp tofu skin roll recipe in Asian Tofu is you want to take a dumpling approach.

  5. Teresa F.

    Genius! What a great party snack idea! They'd probably go well with a sweet hot dipping sauce. Mmmm.

  6. pym

    so not necessary to pour boiling water over them before frying?

    • Andrea Nguyen

      Nope. You want to keep the tofu skin dry.

Soy Chicharron Recipe - Viet World Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

What is the best oil for chicharron? ›

Traditionally, chicharrones are fried in lard, but that can be a little pricey, so you can use canola, grapeseed oil, or another vegetable oil with a high smoke point.

Why put baking soda on chicharrones? ›

Drier skin crisps more quickly and bubbles less vigorously while frying. Finally, the baking soda reacts with the skin's proteins themselves, allowing them to be broken down more easily when you cook the meat the next day.

What is bean curd skin in Vietnamese? ›

Made from soybeans, tofu skin, called 'tau hu ky' in Vietnamese, is also known as bean curd skin or bean curd sheet. During the process of boiling soybeans, a film or skin composed primarily of a soy protein-lipid complex forms on the liquid surface. This thin layer is carefully removed and dried to become tau hu ky.

What are vegan chicharrones made of? ›

Vegan Filipino Chicharon is a fun little snack that has dried shiitake mushrooms coated in rice flour and sweet rice flour then deep-fried. Another way to make it is by deep-frying dried yuba skin. You could serve vegan Filipino Chicharon as a snack, appetizer, or party food.

What oil makes things crispy? ›

Canola Oil: Best All-Purpose Oil for Frying

It's great for all different kinds of frying methods, but it is also a good choice for roasting vegetables or making dressing. At about 400 degrees, the smoke point of canola oil is fine for deep-frying—a lot of deep-fried foods need an oil temperature of 325 to 375 degrees.

Which oil is best for deep frying crispy? ›

The refined oils that are most often used for deep frying include safflower and soybean oil, the latter of which is often labeled as vegetable oil. Decker says the most stable picks are high in a fat called oleic acid, and recommends using peanut or canola oil.

What does white vinegar do to pork skin? ›

White Vinegar helps dry out the skin – but it has a secondary purpose of removing the odour! If you are prepared, place the Pork in the Fridge UNCOVERED overnight – the skin will dry out. When you pre-heat your oven, remove the pork from the fridge and let it return to room temperature.

How long to marinate pork in baking soda? ›

The brining process generally takes at least 30 minutes before the meat is tenderized. Moreover, over-brining with saltwater can ruin the integrity of the meat. Alternatively, a baking soda mixture generally takes between 15 and 20 minutes to tenderize the cuts of meat.

Does baking powder make pork skin crispy? ›

Whole pork shoulders or pork belly roasts can be magical when treated right. Poke the skin with a needle or knife without breaking through the meat too far. Then dust with salt and baking powder and allow to dry overnight. The next day, when you cook, the skin will puff and crisp up in ways you only imagined before.

Is bean curd same as soybean? ›

Bean curd, also known as tofu, is made out of soybeans that have been soaked, ground, and pressed into a tender block of protein. Bean curd is nearly tasteless by itself, but it soaks up the flavors that it is cooked with to create tasty dishes that have a variety of textures.

What is chayote in viet? ›

Chayote, also known as a mirliton squash or trai su su in Vietnamese, looks like a green pear on steroids.

How do you make soy skin? ›

In a large, clean saucepan, bring the soy milk to just below a simmer. A skin will slowly form on the surface of the soy milk. When the skin is fully formed, use a paring knife to carefully detach it from the side of the saucepan. Carefully slide a chopstick or skewer under the skin and lift it from the milk.

What is the difference between pork rinds and chicharrones? ›

Pork rinds are only made with fried pork skin, but traditional chicharrones can be made with many different types of meat, including pork skins. So, if they're made from pork, they're virtually identical to pork rinds, but if they're made from mutton or beef, they are not very similar at all.

What are Mexican chicharrones made of? ›

Duros de harina (also known as pasta para duros, duritos, durros, pasta para durito, chicharrones, churritos, Mexican wagon wheels or pin wheels) are a popular Mexican snack food made of puffed wheat, often flavored with chili and lemon. Duros with chili and lemon flavoring Round flour duros puff up when fried.

Why are chicharrones so good? ›

It's all about the high-quality ingredients, says Ryan Farr, founder of 4505 Meats. “Unlike so many other meat products and snack foods on store shelves, our chicharrones and cracklins—made from the pig's shoulder skin, which makes them crunchier, richer, and denser pork rind—are minimally processed,” says Farr.

What is the best oil to rub on pork? ›

This can be olive oil, yellow mustard, or a spray oil like duck fat. For pork butt I usually go with mustard. It doesn't add any flavor to the finished product, but I like the way it holds the rub and the color it gives to the exterior early in the cook.

What oil do you use for pork rinds? ›

Frying Oil - Peanut Oil, Soybean Oil, or Lard (Lard is typically used.) Seasoning - Salt and Black Pepper works well if nothing else is available. Pork Skin - Find at a butcher, charcuterie, or international market.

What oil should I use for pork? ›

I always use canola oil for frying. This recipe is for two pork chops. It is best not to crowd them in the pan even if you have to start again with another batch. The biggest secret is the temperature and to keep turning the chops over.

What is the best oil to cook pork in? ›

Pan-fry the best pork chops

You can use any neutral, unflavored vegetable oil, such as safflower. (Avoid olive oil because it has a lower smoke point.) The pan you choose is important too, per Saveur. It should be heavy and a good size, with a solid flat bottom and shallow sides.

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