Why it works: Clove and pepper match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 17,451 recipes. Both carry ethyl octanoate, which smells fruity, wine. The science ↓
Chicharon
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the rinds
Boil the cut pork rind in water and salt for 30 minutes.
Bake the cooked pork rind on an oven pan at 300°F for 3 hours.
Set aside and let cool.
Fry and serve
Deep fry the rinds in a skillet in hot oil over high heat until they puff up.
Combine all dipping ingredients and mix well.
Drain the fried rinds and serve with the dipping sauce.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 8 of 10 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Pork | 100g cooked | 242 |
| Vegetable | 1 tbsp (14g) | 120 |
| Corn Oil | 1/2 cup kernels (82g) | 77 |
| Clove | 1 tsp ground (2g) | 7 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
| Sauce | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Clove + peppertop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together17,451 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
-
Garlic + peppertop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,090 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Pork + corntop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,069 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Clove + garlictop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together11,368 recipes
Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
-
Corn + peppertop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,324 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Pork rind
- Forms the crisp, puffed snack once dried and fried.
- Vegetable or corn oil
- Heats the rinds quickly so their moisture turns to steam and they puff.
- Apple cider vinegar
- Adds acidity to the dipping sauce, balancing the rich fried flavor.
The step that matters
Deep fry the rinds in hot oil until they puff up. The rinds must be fully dry before frying. Any remaining moisture turns to steam in hot oil, which is what makes them puff. If the oil is not hot enough, the rinds soak up oil and turn greasy and tough instead of light and crisp.
Swap the clove
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (pork, corn, sauce, apple cider vinegar, garlic, pepper):
- Thymefits better
- Cuminfits better
- Oreganofits better
- Clovethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against pork, corn, sauce, apple cider vinegar, garlic, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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