How do I prepare chicharrón prensado (pressed pork crackling)?

Don Felipe Silva González, also known as El Manis, keeps alive the tradition of his father, Mr. Indalecio Silva García, a native of Zacatlán de las Manzanas in Puebla who set up the stand and now family-owned chicharrón prensado (pressed pork crackling) business.

Don Felipe says that to make the pressed pork rind, the fat of the pork is first fried, which would be the second layer of the animal's skin. This is done in a saucepan or pan whose capacity is 100kg. The fat is minced or cut to have relatively uniform pieces.

The fat is fried over a relatively high heat and, once all the fat has been put in the pan, a quarter of salt and about 1 ounce (30 ml) of honey are added. Honey is used to give the chicharrón (pork crackling) the golden color.

The oil that the fat releases is put in another pan. After three or four hours of cooking, the fat is converted into chicharrón (pork crackling). 

This process results in two final products: chicharrón (pork crackling) and the liquid fat. Even so, the chicharrón (pork crackling) still has to be presented for eating.

The chicharrón (pork crackling) is picked up in a frying pan to fill the tenates, woven palm baskets that are made in the region and can be reused because they are of such a resistant material. 

Once the tenate (basket) has been filled, it is tightened or filled up with a wooden stick to press it and finally it is put into a manual press that has a tourniquet at its base. At this point, the chicharrón (pork crackling) starts to curl up or press with the necessary force so that it comes out pressed after it has been removed from the press. 

At this point it is allowed to drain vertically for a few minutes to remove the residue of fat and thus have the chicharrón (pork crackling) pressed and very light. Don Felipe says that he must loosen it a little so that when it cools it does not stay like a mold and the chicharrón (pork crackling) can be enjoyed piece by piece. 

Once the tenate (basket) has been loosened, Don Felipe leaves for the market to buy the typical floral plastic tablecloth for his tables, new scales, his brown paper and his plastic bags. He loads it all onto a shopping cart and walks four streets until he reaches La Plaza shopping center.

At this point Don Felipe or El Manis talks to us showing us his product. "This is the total of the 220 pounds of fat showing the five tenates (baskets) that came out after all the production, that is, from 220 pounds, 26 pounds of chicharrón prensado (pressed pork crackling) are sold to the market."