If you read our last blog, you will know that at Pascal’s Pork Scratchings, we are big on keeping things simple, like good ingredients, no fillers and real food that does what it says it will.
We love it when our customers come back and tell us what they enjoy doing with Pascal’s Pork Scratchings once they get them home, and it turns out, a lot of people aren’t just eating them straight. They’re cooking with them. Crushing them. Folding them throughthe dishes. Using them where breadcrumbs, croutons or crunchy toppings usually go….and it's getting surprisingly delicious reviews!
So we thought it was time to share a few of those ideas. Not as rules. Just inspiration.
Crushed Pork Scratchings as a Crunchy Finish
This one came up again and again. A handful of scratchings, lightly crushed, sprinkled over a dish right before serving. That’s it.
They work beautifully with roasted vegetables, creamy cauliflower, baked eggs, and even slow-cooked meats that need a bit of texture at the end. You don’t need much. Just enough to add crunch, salt and that deep pork flavour…yummm!
One customer told us they keep a small jar of crushed scratchings in the pantry, next to the salt. Which feels about right.
With Dips (Not Just On the Side)
Instead of serving pork scratchings alongside a dip, some customers are mixing them into it.
When crushed lightly, they make creamy dips like sour cream, labneh or avocado-based blends thicker. It's a bit like adding texture without adding carbs or fillers. They also work nicely with thicker dips like spiced yoghurt, bone marrow butter or slow-cooked onion.
This small addition turns a familiar plate into something more delicious and satisfying.
Salads That Don’t Feel Like an Afterthought
More salad dishes and ideas came up than we thought they would!
Some people said to use our prok scratchings like croutons - simply break them up into rough pieces and put them in right before serving. They give crunch without extra carbs or fillers, and they don't dissolve when you add dressing. Especially in salads with bitter leaves, roasted vegetables or dressings that are too sharp.
A client from New South Wales remarked that it was the first time their salad felt "finished" without cheese or bread. That stuck with us.
A Breadcrumb Alternative (That Actually Holds Up)
This is where things get interesting.
Finely crushed pork scratchings can be used wherever breadcrumbs are usually used. Think coating meat, topping bakes, or binding fillings.
They brown well. They crisp properly. And because they’re made from pork rind, lard and sea salt — nothing else — they don’t bring unwanted flavours or oils into the dish.
A number of consumers sent us recipes that used them on chicken, lamb cutlets and even baked veggies and with their permission, we will be publishing a handful of those soon.
Why This Works
It all comes back to the product. There are no seed oils or preservatives in Pascal's Pork Scratchings. That keeps them stable. Not just something to eat and forget about, but also useful in the kitchen.
They suit low-carb, keto and gluten-free cooking naturally, without trying to be anything special. They just do the job. And once you start using them as an ingredient instead of a one-off, you tend to keep a bag on hand.
A Note From Us
We love to see what people do with our delicious pork cracklings when they get it and this is how things change over time, without anyone noticing, in actual kitchens.
Send in a recipe or a trick that you swear by. Some of the best ideas we've seen didn't come from a test kitchen. They came from someone who was cooking dinner on a weeknight and figuring it out as they went. That’s usually where the good stuff lives.