Perfect crackling

[Saunders]

I don’t have the answer to this, mine is always a bit hit and miss. My daughter found this
method a few years ago Chinese Roast Pork (Better Than Chinatown!) - Rasa Malaysia we all now use if we’re doing belly, or a flat piece of pork as it really works every time (providing you use cheap table salt, the flaky stuff slips off into the water and ruins the gravy).
Does anyone have a failsafe crackling method, that works with all shapes and cuts of pork? I’m cooking a rolled piece of pork leg tomorrow and would prefer not to be faffing around with the grill or broken teeth

 

[weltweit]

I have no idea how to create it.

I just came here to say Crackling YUM!!

 

[Fuzzy]

score the skin and then dry it with kitchen towel before applying oil and salt. if it doesn't crisp up whilst the meat is cooking just cut it off when you take the meat out and leave in the oven whilst the roast potatoes cook.

 

[A380]

Just did a loin of port for the I’m laws. Top cracking if I say so my self.

Pre heat the oven as high as it will go

Score the fat loads with a very sharp knife.

Score it a bit more.

Pour sunflower oil on it. Add quite a lot of salt and a bit of pepper.

Stick in in the really hot oven for 15 minutes.oven .

Don’t open the oven but turn it down to whatever temperature you cook your pork at.

After cooking but before you let the meat rest cut of the cracking. Remove any fat from the back, dab of the oil with kitchen paper.

Put the cracking back in the oven with the potatoes and any other trimmings in there.

Perfect crackling.

 

[Saunders]

So I do always ensure the skin is dry, well scored and salt and oil il it (generally also add some ground fennel seed), cut the skin off while the meat is resting and put it back into the oven, and 60% of the time end up with lovely crackling. But it’s never failsafe. Whereas the daughters recipe for flat piece of pork belly is.
I have befire put the uncrackled skin back in the oven or under the grill in various temperatures, including finishing off the potatoes, re-warming the roast veg and something bake, cooking the Yorkshires etc, it’s never been something I know will turn out the way I want it when I want it

 

[spitfire]

No oil. Dry AF with lots of salt.

Pork belly - 4 hours covered with foil, bottle of cider and carrots underneath at 150 then last hour uncovered at 200.

No oil!

 

[spitfire]

Left this one in slightly too long so the edges were a bit browner than I would normally do it but there was plenty of good belly in there.

Stick the carrots in the oven afterwards and by god they are marvellous.

New trick I just discovered, when you get to the end of the 4 hour slow cook, pour off the remaining cider and make gravy with it. I used to leave it in till the end but it all boiled off, this is the way.

 

[Saunders]

Left this one in slightly too long so the edges were a bit browner than I would normally do it but there was plenty of good belly in there.

Stick the carrots in the oven afterwards and by god they are marvellous.

New trick I just discovered, when you get to the end of the 4 hour slow cook, pour off the remaining cider and make gravy with it. I used to leave it in till the end but it all boiled off, this is the way.

Yep that looks bloody lovely
And from what you’ve described , you use a mixture of all the methods I try
If it’s a ‘joint of pork’ I tend to roast it over a trivet of cider and stock veg, for gravy purposes; if it’s belly or another flat piece of meat I use my daughters found method and change the aromatics

 

[Epona]

Left this one in slightly too long so the edges were a bit browner than I would normally do it but there was plenty of good belly in there.

Stick the carrots in the oven afterwards and by god they are marvellous.

New trick I just discovered, when you get to the end of the 4 hour slow cook, pour off the remaining cider and make gravy with it. I used to leave it in till the end but it all boiled off, this is the way.

Cor!

 

[bluescreen]

Score the rind, salt it, cook the joint, find it hasn't crackled, carve off the rind while the meat's resting, cut rind up into little strips and wok it or air fry it.

 

[Ming]

If it’s done properly you should be able to hit it lightly with the back of a soup spoon and it will literally crack like an egg shell.

 

[Aladdin]

Left this one in slightly too long so the edges were a bit browner than I would normally do it but there was plenty of good belly in there.

Stick the carrots in the oven afterwards and by god they are marvellous.

New trick I just discovered, when you get to the end of the 4 hour slow cook, pour off the remaining cider and make gravy with it. I used to leave it in till the end but it all boiled off, this is the way.

I can smell that !


Looks fantastic

 

[spitfire]

I can smell that !


Looks fantastic

Thanks! And lol!

 

[Chilli.s]

I find that sometimes it helps (after its all cooked and ready to rest then carve) to separate the crackling from the joint and flip it fat side up and return to the oven without the meat for 20 mins finishing on quite high

 

[prunus]

The thing that seems to work for me (although I haven’t scientifically tested it, but since I started doing this crackling always seems to work like a joy) is pouring a kettle full of boiling water over the scored skin (in the sink) and allowing to cool, before drying thoroughly, salting and all the other things above. I only do shoulder and belly though, might not work on leg (too short a cooking time for my liking - long and slow is how I like it )

 

[weltweit]

On the theme of celebrating good food, I just had an Easter Sunday lunch of roasted Venison with mash, roasties, carrots and home made chipolatas. The Venison was absolutely lush.

 

[spitfire]

I recommend using a Stanley knife to score but always better to get the butcher to do it for you.

 

[8ball]

Left this one in slightly too long so the edges were a bit browner than I would normally do it but there was plenty of good belly in there.

Stick the carrots in the oven afterwards and by god they are marvellous.

New trick I just discovered, when you get to the end of the 4 hour slow cook, pour off the remaining cider and make gravy with it. I used to leave it in till the end but it all boiled off, this is the way.

That is truly a thing of beauty.

 

[spitfire]

That is truly a thing of beauty.

Thanks.

 

[Saunders]

Todays was a great success, thanks for all the tips.
The pork itself was delicious, from my neighbour’s pig so very local.

 

[Epona]

Todays was a great success, thanks for all the tips.
The pork itself was delicious, from my neighbour’s pig so very local.

Glad it turned out well, disappointed at lack of photo though!

 

[seeformiles]

I made perfect crackling today on a pork belly joint.

Pre-heat oven to 220C

1) skin scored down to the fat and rubbed with lots of salt (about a tbsp)
2) rub skin with a tsp veg oil
3) Put in oven for 30 mins
4) Reduce heat to 160C and leave for 90 mins
5) Increase heat to 220C for 30 mins

Perfectly rendered pork belly with top crackling

 

[Epona]

I dunno why I am sitting here rubbing my hands together with glee reading this thread - I once broke a tooth on some crackling (not cooked by me!) and you'd think that would have put me off, but apparently not.
Last time I did pork I managed to get lovely crackling but it's one of those things that as I'm cooking meat for one I don't do often as I can't get through it all by myself, I don't know if crackling freezes well.

 

[UrbaneFox]

Or when the meat is cooked and resting, trim away the skin and scrape out all the flabby stuff underneath (leave the flab for the birds and they will go mad).

Then return the scraped out skin to the oven for 20 minutes or so, sprinkled with salt if you like, and presto, crackling.

 

[kalmatthew]

I dunno why I am sitting here rubbing my hands together with glee reading this thread - I once broke a tooth on some crackling (not cooked by me!) and you'd think that would have put me off, but apparently not.
Last time I did pork I managed to get lovely crackling but it's one of those things that as I'm cooking meat for one I don't do often as I can't get through it all by myself, I don't know if crackling freezes well.

I also cook for one and while the meat freezes well or gets used in stir fry I've never managed to. Get crackling to last long enough to make the freezer

 

[spitfire]

In the oven since 3...how will it go?

 

[Epona]

No after photo

 

[spitfire]

The last hour blast does make it look a bit charred but trust me it’s super fine. Oh yes.

Like pulled pork in the middle.

 

[spitfire]

No after photo

Patience Padawan.

 

[spanish_tim]

Air fryers makes excellent crackling and lovely crisp pork belly strips.