Feral Cooks

Good food shouldn't be tame

Chicharron Chicken

By Leave a Comment


I’d been thinking that pork rinds would be a great coating for chicken, pork or shrimp, so I wasn’t really surprised to see a recipe for something similar. It was time for some experimentation, and the result of that is today’s recipe. Luckily it took only one failure before this worked.

There’s a ton of variations on what seasonings you can use, including Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, ramen salt, paprika, garam masala, shichimi, etc. It all depends on what flavor profile you’re going for.

Of course, this isn’t the most healthful recipe under the sun, but it sure is good. The pork rinds make a perfectly crispy coating. Just make sure you thoroughly cook the chicken.

What you’ll need

  • About 1 lb. chicken breast-tenders
  • 6 – 7 oz chicharrons (fried pork rinds)
  • 2T of whatever blend of seasonings you want to use (halve this amount, if ramen salt). I used garlic powder, ramen salt and coarse-ground pepper.
  • Flour for dredging
  • 1 or 2 eggs, beaten
  • Enough neutral oil for 0.33 inches of depth in your frypan

What to do

If your chicken tenders are fairly thick, pound them flatter with a meat mallet or whatever tool you use for that.

Pulse the chicharrons and whatever seasonings you’re using in a small food process until finely ground.

Next, lay out your coating station by beating the eggs in a shallow bowl, adding some dredging flour to a plate and the ground chicharrons to another plate or shallow bowl.

For each chicken piece: dredge both sides in the flour, shaking off the excess, before dipping the chicken in the beaten egg, ensuring you’ve covered the entire piece. Last, dredge and press the piece into the ground chicharrons and spices, ensuring the entire surface is covered on both sides. Set them on a plate as you complete the process.

Heat about 0.33 inches of oil in a heavy frypan to about 300 degrees F over medium heat. Being careful not to crowd the pan (you may have to cook two batches), carefully lay the pieces into the oil, cooking them for about 4 or so minutes, before turning them for another 4 minutes. Check the internal temp of the thickest part of a piece with an instant-read thermometer to confirm doneness of 165 degrees F. Remove the pieces to a paper-towel lined plate before serving with your favorite dipping sauce or on a ciabatta roll with lettuce and honey-mustard.

Tomato Paste Mini-Tonkatsu

By Leave a Comment


We eat a lot of tonkatsu at the Feral Cooks, and I was thinking one day of possible options, other than dredging the chop in flour, egg and panko. The alterative would have to be something thick that panko would stick to during the frying process. Turns out the tomato paste fits the bill. Miso would work, too, and that’s next on the list.

While I’d call the experiment a success, the tomato paste, while being an intense umami- bomb, did overpower the meat at bit. I’ll have to see how miso works.

Note that this recipe would not work on full-thickness chops, as they would take too long to cook, rendering the panko burnt from the long cooking time.

What you’ll need

  • However many small, thin, boneless pork chops you want to cook
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • About 1T tomato paste for each chop
  • About 1 cup or so of panko
  • Oil for cooking

What to do

Dry the chops on both sides so the tomato paste sticks to them. Salt and pepper each side of each chop. Add the panko to a shallow bowl or high-rimmed plate.

Begin heating to 350 degrees F about 0.33 inches of oil in a large, heavy-bottom fry pan—cast iron works well for this.

When the oil is approaching 350 degrees, do this for each chop: with a butter knife or a large spoon, spread the tomato paste evenly across the surface of the chop. Turn it over and press it firmly into the panko, coating the entire side. Gently set on a cutting board or plate and spread the tomato paste across the naked side. Turn the chop over and firmly press into the panko. Set on a plate until the oil is ready. Do that for each chop.

When the oil is up to temp, carefully put the chops into the oil, letting them cook for 3 – 4 minutes, before carefully turning and cooking the other side for 3-4 more minutes. When done, remove to a paper-towel-lined plate or a wire rack.

Serving options include putting the tonkatsu on a bun with lettuce/cabbage and tonkatsu sauce, or serving it on a bed of cabbage with rice.

Smoked Oyster Pasta

By Leave a Comment


This is a really easy and basic pasta recipe that takes just a few minutes to make. It’s perfect for a quick lunch or dinner.

Don’t skimp on the garlic or parmesan for this, or you’ll short-change the dish’s flavor.

What you’ll need

  • Whatever shape you like of uncooked pasta, 4 oz per person
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced (per two servings)
  • 3-oz tin smoked oysters, including the packing oil (per two servings)
  • 0.25t red pepper flakes (per two servings)
  • Shaved parmesan cheese (1T per serving)

What to do

Begin cooking the pasta whatever way you usually cook it.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the oysters: add a little oil from the oyster tin to a medium frypan over low-medium heat. Sauté the garlic for a couple of minutes, until fragrant. Set aside off the heat.

Drain the pasta when it’s finished; set it aside. Reheat the frypan over medium heat and add the oysters and any remaining oil. If the tin didn’t have enough packing oil you can add a bit of olive oil to the frypan. Heat up the oil and oysters for a couple of minutes before adding the pasta. Toss the pasta in the oil with about a third of the parmesan. Cook for about 1 more minute. Plate the pasta and oysters, topping with some red pepper flakes and shaved parmesan. Serve hot.