Ham rind is culinary gold: you can use it to flavor soups and beans, render it for fat and cracklings, or bake it into ultra-savoury crisps instead of throwing it away.

Quick ideas (best uses)

  • Simmer chunks of rind in soups, stews, lentils, or beans, then fish them out before serving for a deep smoky, salty flavor.
  • Add pieces to homemade stock (chicken, vegetable, or pork) for extra body and umami, just like adding a ham bone.
  • Gently render the fatty rind in a pan to make ham-flavoured fat for frying onions, potatoes, greens, or eggs.
  • Keep the crispy bits (cracklings) after rendering and sprinkle them on salads, soups, mashed potatoes, or baked vegetables.

How to prep and store it

  • Trim off any very hard, dried, or burnt outer skin and discard those tough edges.
  • Cut the rind into strips or small squares so it’s easy to toss into a pot later.
  • Freeze portions in small bags; you can pull out a piece or two whenever you make beans, soups, or stock.

Simple “ham rind crisps”

  • Lay cleaned rind (fat side up) on a tray, lightly score the fat, and roast at a moderate–high heat until the fat renders and the skin puffs and crisps.
  • Season lightly (it’s already salty) and break into pieces to serve as a crunchy, savoury snack or garnish.

When not to use it

  • If the rind smells sour, rancid, or strangely chemical, or if it’s been sitting too long at room temperature, it’s safer to discard it.
  • Very sweet or heavily glazed rind (lots of sugar, honey, or sticky glaze) can burn easily in high-heat uses; use those pieces mainly for slow simmering in broths or beans.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.