Thin and Crispy

1. Trim the skin away from the pork, slicing thinly. Skin taken from the butt roast, pork shoulder or pork belly works well. Contact your local butcher to have pork skin prepared for you.

2. Dry the pork belly by leaving it uncovered on a rack in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or ideally, overnight. Alternatively, you can also dry the pork belly in a dehydrator or oven with low heat, around 120 degrees F, until dried, approximately 10 to 12 hours.

3. Cut the dried pork skin into 1-inch pieces. Heat a pot half-filled with oil or lard to approximately 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

4. Add the pork skins carefully, a few at a time. The pork skins will cook quickly, in just 15 to 20 seconds, so be ready.

5. Remove the pork skins from the oil with a slotted spoon once they are puffy and porous in appearance, and let drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt, if desired, and serve with fresh lime juice and salsa.

Thick and Meaty

1. Trim the skin away from the pork belly, leaving some of the meat and fat on, cutting thicker chunks that are around 1/2 inch thick. Pork belly works well for thicker chicharrones as it is fattier than other cuts.

2. Dry the pork belly by leaving it uncovered on a rack in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or ideally, overnight. Alternatively, you can also dry the pork belly in a dehydrator or oven with low heat, around 120 F, until dried, approximately 10 to 12 hours.

3. Cut the dried pork belly into 1-inch pieces. Add the pork belly to a pot and add enough water to cover the meat. Render the pork belly for 2 to 4 hours over low heat, stirring every half hour or so, until the water has cooked off and only pork belly and lard remain.

4. Turn the heat to high to fry the pork belly in its own lard. Fry for approximately 5 minutes, or until the pork belly is blistered and crispy in appearance.

5. Remove the chicharrones from the oil and let drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt or cayenne pepper if desired, and serve with warm tortillas and salsa.