Pork Pellets

Pork rinds are one of the world's oldest snack foods, dating back to ancient China. They are crunchy, salty, and crispy, and are often included on low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets.  

Pork rinds are a ubiquitous snack food found in most quick-marts and grocery stores.  While they are devoid of carbohydrates making them an ideal snack food, those sold in stores are generally cooked in "seed oils" which have recently been implicated in a number of metabolic disfunctions and diseases including some cancers.  Additionally; flavorings, preservatives or other sketchy ingredients may be included in store bought pork rinds. These are not advantageous for grinding into panko.

In order to avoid the seed oil conundrum, we purchase bulk "pork pellets" and pop or cook them in an air fryer so the only oil they have is from the pig they came from.   The resulting pork rind crisps are then either eaten as a snack - say with a sour cream dip - or ground into pork panko which is used as an ingredient in many recipes including chuffins, pizza crust, breading on chicken or fish, or a crunchy inclusion in casserole.  

UPDATE: 6/18/24 Microwave method for popping Pork Pellets.