Name: Meskhetian Nakhicho
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Cuisine: Georgian
Ingredients: 1 kg fresh, unseasoned pork back fat, rind removed and cut into 1–1.5 cm cubes; 4 g fine salt, divided; use only a pinch if serving all cracklings at once

A pan of cracklings, a bowl of rendered fat and country bread in a rustic kitchen.

Yieldabout 700 g rendered fat, plus 180–250 g cracklings; actual yield varies by cut

Prep25 minutes

Cook90 minutes

Passive20 minutes

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The dish

About Meskhetian Nakhicho

ნახიჭო · Makes about 700 g rendered fat plus cracklings · Easy · 2 hours 15 minutes

Nakhicho is a Meskhetian preparation made by slowly melting saved animal fat and separating it from the cracklings left behind. It can be made with cattle, pork, goose, duck or turkey fat; pork is especially aromatic. This measured home version uses fresh pork back fat, one practical choice rather than a claim that every household uses the same animal or cut.

The key is gentle heat and dry fat. A brief rinse removes surface residue, but every piece must be dried thoroughly before it goes into the pan: water can make hot fat spit. As the fat melts, stir often and lower the heat if the pieces begin to brown before enough fat has rendered. Straining separates the clear cooking fat from the crisp solids.

Nakhicho is a stored ingredient, not a complete meal. In Meskheti, it is used in breads, pies and khinkali; here, the cracklings can be eaten with bread or saved for another dish. The final quantity depends on the fat's moisture and how much connective tissue is present, so treat the stated yield as an estimate.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Meskhetian Nakhicho: Rendered Pork Fat and Cracklings

For the Nakhicho

1 kgfresh, unseasoned pork back fat, rind removed and cut into 1–1.5 cm cubes
4 gfine salt, divided; use only a pinch if serving all cracklings at once

Method

Trim and cut. Keep the fat refrigerated until you are ready to work. Trim away skin, blood spots and any meat that looks spoiled; cut the fat into even 1–1.5 cm cubes.
Wash, then dry completely. Rinse the cubes briefly under cold running water and drain well. Spread them on a clean tray lined with towels, pat dry, and leave uncovered in the refrigerator until the surfaces feel dry, about 20 minutes. Do not put wet fat into a hot pan.
Start the render gently. Put the cubes in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Stir every few minutes as the fat begins to release. Do not add water or oil. If the bottom begins to brown before a pool of fat forms, lower the heat.
Render slowly. Cook uncovered, stirring more often as the cubes shrink, until the liquid fat is clear and the remaining solids are small and pale gold, about 75–90 minutes. Keep the heat gentle; dark-brown bits taste bitter. Stop before the cracklings turn very dark.
Strain and salt. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a heatproof bowl and carefully pour through it. Transfer the cracklings to a separate bowl and toss with a pinch of the salt while warm. Let the strained fat stand briefly so any fine sediment settles.
Pack and chill. Pour the clear fat into clean, completely dry heatproof jars, leaving sediment behind. Cool the fat and cracklings in separate shallow containers, then cover and refrigerate within 2 hours. The fat will turn opaque as it cools.

Excerpt

Meskhetian Nakhicho turns carefully washed pork fat into pale rendered cooking fat and salted cracklings. Use the fat for cooking or baking, and serve the crisp bits with bread or fold them into another dish.

Practical guidance

Practical notes

Use a large pan so the cubes render in an even layer. If they crowd the pan, cook in two batches. Hot fat can cause severe burns; use dry utensils, pour slowly, and keep children away from the stove. A little steam at the beginning is expected as moisture leaves, but vigorous spitting means the heat is too high or the fat is too wet.

Refrigerate both outputs at or below 4 °C and use within 3–4 days; freeze portions for longer storage. Reheat the cracklings in a dry skillet until hot and crisp. Use the fat in place of cooking fat in breads, pies, khinkali fillings or other savory cooking. Do not store this home-rendered product at room temperature.

Nutrition per serving

Nutrition

Approximate values vary with the fat cut, final yield and how much salt remains on the cracklings. The two outputs are shown separately because they are different foods.

Per 15 g rendered pork fat:

Calories: 135 kcal
Carbohydrates: 0 g
Protein: 0 g
Fat: 15 g
Fibre: 0 g
Sodium: 0 mg
Saturated fat: about 6 g

Per 15 g pork cracklings:

Calories: about 85 kcal
Carbohydrates: 0 g
Protein: about 7 g
Fat: about 6 g
Fibre: 0 g
Sodium: about 190 mg
Saturated fat: about 2 g

Crackling values may differ in this home batch; salt and lean scraps change the numbers. For a packaged product, use the label.

Allergen and safety

Contains pork. Keep raw fat cold before rendering, dry it thoroughly after rinsing, and handle hot fat with dry tools. Store the finished fat and cracklings in separate covered containers at or below 4 °C and use within 3–4 days, or freeze. This home preparation is not shelf-stable.

Serve and store

Spread a little chilled Nakhicho on warm bread, or use the rendered fat for savory dough and cooking.
Keep the cracklings separate from the fat so they stay easier to portion; refrigerate or freeze promptly.

About Meskhetian Nakhicho

Ingredients

For the Nakhicho

Method

Excerpt

Practical notes

Nutrition

Allergen and safety

Serve and store

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