Perfect Pork Crackling
The winning technique from a head-to-head test of crackling methods: salt, dry thoroughly (a hairdryer helps), then roast hot and finish with hot fat.
Source
Recipe Info
Servings: 4
Prep: 15m (plus overnight drying)
Cook: 1h30m
Total: varies with joint size
Ingredients
- 1 piece pork belly, rind scored in lines about a finger-width apart (roughly 1-1.5kg)
- fine salt, for rubbing in
- 1 tbsp hot fat (e.g. goose or duck fat), to finish
Instructions
- The day before cooking, rub salt well into the scored rind, then use a hairdryer on a low setting to dry the skin thoroughly until it feels completely dry to the touch.
- Wrap loosely in a clean tea towel and refrigerate, uncovered, overnight to dry out further.
- About 30 minutes before cooking, rub a little more salt into the rind. Pre-heat the oven to its highest setting.
- Roast for 15-20 minutes at the highest setting to blister the skin, then turn the oven down to 180°C and continue roasting until the meat is cooked through (allow roughly 35 minutes per 500g).
- Just before serving, drizzle the hot fat over the crackling to help it crisp further, then carve and serve.