Grouper throats a la chicharrones recipe

grouper
This tasty meal uses some of the best meat that many grouper anglers unfortunately discard when cleaning.

Appetizer or main dish, this combo hits the spot

Hopefully, the name of this recipe got your attention and made you read this. It’s a nice diversion after a hot August day and creates a tasty way to prepare a part of grouper many people don’t consider — heck, some don’t even know it exists or is edible. However, those that know consider it a delicacy. You can prepare it as an appetizer or save grouper throats and prepare them as a meal.

Grouper throats are the part of the grouper from its lower jaw back to where the stomach cavity begins at the pectoral fins. Most people begin their fillets just behind the pectoral fin and dispose of the head along with the tail and internals. But this is a big mistake. Cleaning in this manner is incomplete and misses two of the tastiest parts of the fish. In addition to the throats, most grouper also have a nice, scallop size piece of meat in their cheeks, under their eyes.

If you knew about grouper throats, what are chicharrones, the other main ingredient? The odds are pretty good that if you grew up in the Carolinas you’ve already eaten them — just under another name. Chicharrones are pork skins or rinds, as some prefer to call them. You’ll find them on the counter at many barbecue places and mixed in with the potato chips on the snack aisle at grocery stores. They come in regular and several flavors, including hot or spicy. And the spicy ones have just a good hint of sizzle.

It’s a great snack in the cool evenings

So you think I’ve lost my mind? Say you can’t imagine any way to combine pork skins and a part of fish you’ve never heard of before. Take the time to prepare this, and I believe you’ll reconsider. It’s really pretty good. If any enterprising seafood restaurants are out there looking for a catchy appetizer, this might be just the thing. I don’t know that they would sell well as meals. But I’m certain they would make a great appetizer and sell well.

The August heat is stifling but cools as the sun sets in the evening, and that’s a great time to chill and relax on the patio or deck. With a shade tree or awning, you can create a nice breeze to sit and enjoy the cooling of the day. This recipe is made for cooking on the grill, and that’s good for a couple of reasons. It keeps you outside in the cool of the late afternoon and early evening and you don’t heat up your house cooking.

Grouper is a favorite fish off the Carolinas, and they have been biting all summer. Catching your own and saving the throats separate from the fillets for special meals is the preferred way to begin. But your favorite seafood market should be able to hook you up also. Mine saves cheeks, throats and other special little fish pieces and has them in Ziploc bags buried in the ice in one of their whole fish displays. Frequent customers and locals know to look for the bags of tasty morsels as soon as they come in.

Grouper throats a la chicharrones

I don’t know about anyone else, but I occasionally browse recipes and am always drawn to the ones with interesting names, odd combinations of food or spices and similar things that make them stand out. If you are reading this, I guess the name of this recipe caught your attention, so that part worked with you.

This is a unique combination of a seldom-used part of a fish and another food product I’m pretty sure you never thought of as something to add to seafood. Check it out and give it some consideration. It really is a fun recipe that I believe you will like.

This recipe came about sort of sideways. Through some of the recipes that have been posted on the magazines’ websites and then copied to Facebook and other media, I was contacted by a public relations person in the food industry. She appreciated some of the odd meats, preparations and unusual combinations of spices and ingredients suggested here and offered to send samples of some of the products her company represents for gastronomic experiments. I’m never one to say no to this unless producing a recipe is required as part of the deal and that wasn’t the case. Experimenting and keeping her informed would be all that was required. Regular readers of this column know I’m not afraid to experiment, so the gauntlet was thrown down and the die was cast.

Grind the pork rinds down

One of the products sent was Rudolph’s Pork Rinds. I like their taste but was only thinking of them whole and was using them as sides to soups, chili, sandwiches and such. One day I asked if there were any suggested ways to use them and received a short list. Most of the suggestions were similar to what I had been doing. But one involved grinding the rinds down with a mortar and pestle and mixing them with breader for frying fish. I don’t fry much, but this idea stuck in my mind and I began playing with it.

This recipe came from that experimentation. Most of you know I like food with spices, and I began looking at the hot and spicy Rudolph’s Pork Rinds. My taste-testing crew didn’t seem to want to chance the spices getting too warm on larger pieces of fish. So I began mixing with smaller pieces. I’m happy to say it worked well with a lot of things, including nuggets cut from fillets. But I developed a taste for it on the different meat texture of cheeks and throats.

This recipe is similar to blackening, but using the crushed up rinds instead of blackened seasoning and not cooking it quite as hot. Grouper throats are thinner cuts and cook quickly. This helps reduce the heat. You have to keep a close eye on the throats to prevent overcooking. Understand there is a wide variance in grill heat, and the cooking times and temperatures are just guidelines that work on my grill.

Spice up the grouper to your own taste

I don’t find the Rudolph’s Spicy Pork Rinds all that spicy. And when I fix it for myself and my friends with more robust palates, I add a little garlic and onion powder and black and cayenne pepper to bring it into its own. This recipe is the mild version, with just the spicy pork rinds and a little salt and pepper to taste. For those of you who have a more robust palate and think you would prefer a little more gusto, I suggest trying it this way first and then adjusting if you want. I know it’s not the same, but you can add spice after the fact to give something a lift. But it’s dang near impossible to tone something down after it’s been cooked.

It’s pretty good prepared this way, and you may not want to risk changing it. It is very simple and easy to fix also.

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound of grouper throats

1 small bag Rudolph’s Hot and Spicy Pork Rinds (2.5 ounces)

Salt and pepper (to taste)

Olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

PREPARATION:

Scale, skin and remove pectoral fin from grouper throats. Cut grouper throats into pieces of two to three bites. Put pork rinds in blender and reduce to crumbs.

Preheat grill to medium high. Salt and pepper grouper throats. Roll grouper throats in ground pork rinds. Put cast-iron frying pan on grill and lightly cover bottom with olive oil. When olive oil is hot, add butter and swirl to mix with olive oil and cover bottom of pan.

Place grouper throats in pan and cook four to six minutes. Turn grouper throats and cook for three to five more minutes. Now, turn grill heat to high and cook one to two more minutes. Be careful not to overbrown the throats.

Turn off heat. Serve immediately hot from pan.

I like to add corn on the cob that has been cooked on the grill and a tossed salad or lettuce wedge. This meal is best served on an outside deck or patio and accompanied with home-brewed sweet tea. Enjoy.

About Jerry Dilsaver 1168 Articles
Jerry Dilsaver of Oak Island, N.C., a full-time freelance writer, is a columnist for Carolina Sportsman. He is a former SKA National Champion and USAA Angler of the Year.

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