KATE GIBBS

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how to create a perfect roast pork with crackling

Crackling skin, tick. Succulent pork where the fat has mostly melted away and you're left with easy, carvable meat? Tick. One last sliver of crunchy roast becomes the new family bargaining chip.

  • 1.5kg piece pork belly
  • 1/2 tbs sea salt flakes

Score pork in lines 2cm apart acrossways, or ask your butcher to do this for you.  Bring pork to room temperature, pat skin dry with kitchen paper and sprinkle over salt, focusing on the skin and rubbing salt into scored skin. Preheat oven to 220C.

Transfer pork to baking tray and cook for 40 minutes. Turn oven temperature to 180C and cook for another 30 minutes. Turn oven grill to high, cook pork until skin is crackled and blistered, about 20 minutes. Watch to make sure it doesn’t burn. Let rest 20 minutes, carve along lines to serve.

Photo by Nikki To for Electrolux