Cracklin’ Cookoff: For lovers of the skin of the ‘other white meat’

The cooked skin of a pig.

With fat still attached.

Sound tasty?

If so, the Cut Off Youth Center is hosting a Cracklin’ Cook-Off on April 14 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., making it the prime spot for cracklin’ lovers in the Tri-parish area.

One of the great aspects of life in south Louisiana is the food, as it is something that always seems to bring people together.

The cook-off will put that theory to the test, and if things go as they have in the past, there will only be more reason to believe that theory.

Youth Center director Daniel Callais said this year’s event includes the cook-off, an antique car show and a variety of craft booths. There will also be plate lunches of white beans and rice, pork jambalaya and grillades, starting at 11 a.m.

“Last year we had about 30 antique cars, and people can go see the cars,” he said.

“Inside the building, we’re going to have the crafters. Last year we had 10 or 12 of them.

But the main reason for the event is the cracklin’s. “They start cooking the cracklin’s at around 6 a.m.,” said Callais. “The judging for the cracklin’s begins at 2 p.m. Last year we had 17 cookers, and we’re expecting the same this year.”

Even though the cracklin’s are going to be cooking throughout the day, people attending the event will still be able to enjoy the delicacy from the beginning of the day, said Callais. “We’re going to have some cracklin’s cooked before hand, to start selling them,” he said. “Around 2 p.m., we go pick up the cracklin’s and start judging them.”

Each cooker is required to provide 15 bags of cracklin’s to the Youth Center to sell to the public.

“It’s a family event,” he added. “We have tables set up where they can go around watching different people preparing their cracklin’s. We’ll also have music by D.J. Collins, from noon to 4 p.m.

“It’s a lot of fun.”

Cracklin’ Cookoff: For lovers of the skin of the ‘other white meat’