crackling
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crackling noun (usually as plural) A fragment of the rind of a hog (or rarely of another animal) from which the lard has been rendered, used as flavoring, especially when fried to a crisp and baked in cornmeal to make crackling bread. [DARE labels this usage “chiefly South, Midland”]
1834 Crockett Narrative 106 I looked like a pretty cracklin ever to get to Congress!!! 1900 Harben N GA Sketches 137 She said she was afeered her cracklin’s would burn, but I’ll bet she seed you down the road. 1939 Hall Coll (Cataloochee NC) We cooked that coon and all lay down to sleep and the coon cooked into cracklin’s. We didn’t have anything but cracklin’s and a pot of grease next morning. 1977 Shields Cades Cove 28 Cracklings, the remains from the lard rendering process, were used to flavor many dishes, including corn bread—called cracklin’ bread in Cades Cove. It was a rich but delicious bread, especially if the cracklings were crisp. 1990 Oliver Cooking Hazel Creek 18 Leaf fat and fat from intestines was rendered for lard; that is, it was boiled in a large pot to release the lard or grease. This fat then became cracklins which, coarsely ground, were delicious when mixed with corn meal and baked as cracklin bread.