Brazilian Torresmo, Crispy Pork Belly Cracklings

📍 Where this dish comes from: Minas Gerais · Historic Ouro Preto
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Torresmo is the crackling, puffed pork belly snack that defines a Minas Gerais boteco. Cubes of skin-on belly are slowly rendered in their own fat and then blasted with heat until the skin bubbles into a crunchy crust. It is naturally carb free, which makes it one of the easiest Brazilian classics to enjoy on keto.

Per serving: 520 calories · 0.5 g net carbs · 9 g protein · 53 g fat (calculated from the ingredients)

What You’ll Need

Brazilian Torresmo, Crispy Pork Belly Cracklings

Torresmo is the crackling, puffed pork belly snack that defines a Minas Gerais boteco. Cubes of skin-on belly are slowly rendered in their own fat and then blasted with heat until the skin bubbles into a crunchy crust. It is naturally carb free, which makes it one of the easiest Brazilian classics to enjoy on keto.

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Prep Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 45 minutes minutes

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Brazilian

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 520kcal

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 pounds skin-on pork belly
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 2 garlic cloves crushed
• Juice of 1 lime plus wedges to serve

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Instructions

• Pat the pork belly dry. Using a sharp knife, cut it into strips about 1 1/2 inches wide, then into 1-inch pieces, keeping the skin attached. Rub with the salt, garlic and half the lime juice and refrigerate uncovered for 1 hour, or overnight, so the skin dries out.
• Wipe off the garlic and pat the pieces very dry. Place them skin-side up in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven in a single layer, and add enough water to just cover the bottom of the pot.
• Cook over medium-low heat. The water will evaporate and the fat will slowly render. Keep cooking, stirring occasionally, for 60 to 70 minutes, until the meat is golden and there is plenty of melted fat in the pot.
• Raise the heat to high. Fry the pieces in the hot fat, turning carefully, for 3 to 6 minutes until the skin puffs and bubbles into crisp crackling. Stand back, as the skin can pop.
• Lift out with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels and sprinkle with a little salt. Serve hot with lime wedges.

Notes

Dry skin is the key to a good puff, so do not skip the drying time. Keep a splatter screen handy for the final high-heat step. Strain the leftover fat and keep it in the fridge; it is wonderful for frying eggs and greens.

Chef's Tip: If some pieces will not puff, pull the pot off the heat for a minute, then return it to high heat. The sudden temperature jump often makes the skin blister.

Keto Swap: Torresmo is naturally keto. In Minas it is often served with cassava or corn snacks, so pair it with crisp cucumber or celery sticks instead.

Success Tip: Chop leftover torresmo and sprinkle it over sautéed collard greens or scrambled eggs, just as Mineiro cooks do.

Nutrition is calculated from the ingredients and is an estimate per serving. Net carbs exclude fiber and allulose.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 520kcal | Protein: 9g | Fat: 53g

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About This Dish

Torresmo is a pillar of comida mineira, the home cooking of Minas Gerais, where pigs were a key part of farm life. On many farms, pork fat was rendered and stored as lard, and the crispy bits left over became torresmo. Today it is a favorite boteco snack, often served with a shot of cachaça or a cold beer. It also appears beside feijão tropeiro, a mix of beans, cassava flour, eggs and pork that was carried by mule drivers in the gold-rush era. The style made from pork belly with meat attached is sometimes called torresmo de barriga.

This recipe is from The Ultimate Brazilian Keto Cookbook by Gisele Costello, Chapter 2: Snacks & Street Food (Historic Ouro Preto). See all Brazilian recipes