Description
Crispy, golden pork crackling elevates simple meals into culinary celebrations. Rich with salty crunch and pure flavor, this classic dish brings restaurant-quality indulgence right to your kitchen without complicated techniques you’ll love mastering.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat:
- 3.5 kilograms (7.7 pounds) shoulder of pork, boned and rolled
Herbs and Seasonings:
- Salt to taste
- 2–4 tablespoons light brown sugar
Fruits and Liquids:
- 2 Bramley apples, peeled, cored and chopped
- 50 grams (1.8 ounces) butter
- 75 milliliters (2.5 fluid ounces) cider
- 200 milliliters (6.8 fluid ounces) cider
- 300 milliliters (10.1 fluid ounces) stock
Mashed Potatoes:
- 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) mashed potatoes
- 100 grams (3.5 ounces) butter
- 100 milliliters (3.4 fluid ounces) double cream
- Knob of butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to an intense 240C/475F/Gas 9, preparing for crispy crackling transformation.
- Using a sharp knife, meticulously score the pork skin into diamond-shaped patterns, then vigorously massage sea salt across the surface to enhance flavor and texture.
- Position the pork in a deep roasting pan, allowing uncovered exposure to high heat for 30 minutes to rupture fat cells and initiate the crackling process.
- Dramatically reduce oven temperature to 150C/300F/Gas 2, continuing the cooking journey for two hours until the meat achieves tender, golden-brown perfection.
- After removing from oven, let the pork rest for thirty minutes, allowing internal juices to redistribute and flavors to intensify.
- Combine apples, sugar, butter, and cider in a saucepan, simmering for four to five minutes until fruits disintegrate into a smooth, rustic apple sauce.
- Gently warm mashed potatoes with butter and cream, seasoning to elevate the creamy side dish.
- Create a rich gravy by bringing stock and cider to a rolling boil in a saucepan, reducing by half and finishing with a luxurious butter flourish.
- Plate the succulent pork alongside creamy mashed potatoes, accompanied by tangy apple sauce and robust gravy for a complete, satisfying meal.
Notes
- Crispy Skin Secrets: Ensure the pork skin is completely dry before scoring to achieve maximum crunchiness and prevent sogginess during roasting.
- Salt Technique: Use coarse sea salt generously and press it into the scored skin to help draw out moisture and create that perfect crackling texture.
- Temperature Control: Keep the initial high heat critical for rendering fat and creating crisp skin, then lower temperature to tenderize the meat without burning.
- Resting Matters: Allow the meat to rest after cooking to redistribute juices, ensuring each slice remains succulent and flavorful.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 35 minutes
- Category: Snacks, Appetizer
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 702
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 620 mg
- Fat: 52 g
- Saturated Fat: 22 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 28 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 135 mg