Soria torrezno crosses borders: this is how you can prepare this crunchy appetizer at home

A delight from emptied Spain, which has not always had the recognition it deserves, has just entered through the front door of the food distinctions granted by the European Union: on November 19, Torrezno Soriano was recognized with a Protected Geographical Indication by the European institution.

This food has become a hallmark of a region in which tourism has a specific weight and which has depopulation problems. And production does not stop: in 2023 three million kilos of torreznos were produced, double what had been made in 2019.

Since it was progressively valued in restaurants throughout the country based on its consumption in Castilla y León, the torrezno has been gaining weight until it was included at the request of the Spanish Government in the register of geographical indications of the Union that is granted when products have “a specific geographical origin and a reputation, a certain quality or other characteristics fundamentally attributable to their origin.”

Crispy crust and juicy interior

This distinction is not surprising because the Soria torrezno, with a crispy crust and a juicy interior, is a delicacy that is difficult to resist.

Torreznos have been eaten in different cultures for centuries. They are made with pig skin, which is very rich in fat, but that does not mean they are considered bad for the body if eaten in moderation.

It is a snack very protein and, specifically, they are very rich in collagen, a key protein for the structure of tissues such as cartilage, bones and skin. Fats, for their part, are necessary to store energy, although care must be taken in their consumption because they are responsible, along with sugar, for obesity.

It is said that everything is used about the pig, even its gait. From this cuisine of exploitation, torrezno is born, which comes from the belly of the animal. Soria’s torrezno takes into account issues such as achieving a maximum number of bubbles in the crust, ensuring a good balance between bacon and lean meat, and controlling the temperature of the oil and the frying time. Furthermore, the quality of the raw material for Soria’s typical marinated bacon has been guaranteed since 2010 by the Guarantee Mark, which ensures good production throughout the year.

Diet of the shepherds of Castile

Torrezno has always been a food closely linked to the province of Soria. Here, bacon, thanks to the art of marinating and drying in Soria and the secrets of its frying, has become the jewel in the crown of the gastronomy of this Castilian-Leonese province.

It is also one of the foods in the diet of the shepherds of Castile. Soria has always been a land of wool and transhumance. Its shepherds traveled half of the Peninsula with their sheep looking for the best pastures. That is why the torrezno was distributed throughout Castile, reaching Andalusia, where it is known as ‘chicharrones’. El Lazarillo de Tormes already mentions torreznos: since the Middle Ages, it was a delicacy in Castilian areas.

We tell you how to prepare it at home:

Marinated or fresh

The first thing is choosing a good bacon with skin. Specifically, marinated and cured pork belly is used, such as that from Soria, which has a guarantee mark as it is marinated with salt and paprika, and cured in traditional drying rooms.

Cured pork belly can be bought in a whole piece, in half or asked to be cut into thick strips, since the pork belly should be about three or four centimeters long and have a good layer of skin.

If you decide to buy fresh bacon, it is necessary to prepare and marinate the meat before frying. For the marinade you have to make a mixture of coarse salt, black pepper, sweet paprika and chopped garlic and rub it with the bacon again and again. You should let it rest in the refrigerator for at least two hours so that the flavors are well absorbed. After this resting time, you must dry the bacon with kitchen paper and let it cool before frying to avoid sudden changes in temperature.

You have to cook about 100-150 grams of bacon per person. It is best not to put the bacon in the refrigerator because it makes it difficult to cook, but if you need to keep it refrigerated it is important to take it out to room temperature well in advance so that it can dry.

face down skin

The torreznos are placed with the skin face down on a frying pan and covered with sunflower oil halfway up, so that the skin is completely covered by oil. The fire must be at low power so that the oil heats up. Ideally, we should use a deep frying pan that has about two or three centimeters of oil depth.

Little by little bubbles will form in the crust, which has to be lifted completely, until it is completely swollen. The time from one time to the next can change and range from 25 minutes to an hour, the average being about 40 minutes. You have to keep an eye on it and make sure that the bark is face down. Since it is over low heat, the bacon will not burn, but will cook slowly, which is exactly what allows it to remain juicy.

Once the skin is covered in bubbles and has a golden crust, remove the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon. After that, they must be placed on absorbent paper to eliminate excess fat. Ideally, they are served cut into pieces so they can be eaten in one bite.

Another way to make torreznos is in the oven, but a very powerful one is necessary to achieve that characteristic crunch.

This food can also be accompanied with a little potato omelette or a homemade Russian salad and thus we get the classic Spanish bar appetizers at home.