Crunchy, salted crackling is often the most sought-after component of , but it is notoriously tricky to do. is a mission in itself while trying to cook tender meat below the crackling top. Of course, the first step is buying a pork joint with a thick rind, but the steps that follow can be complex.
However, the Real Food team at Tesco say it's achievable with the right recipe. If you're looking to roast a pork joint this weekend, the supermarket's six-ingredient recipe fits the bill for easy cooking. Tesco's Real Food Team noted: "For the perfect crackling, prepare the pork two hours ahead of and season with garlic and sage." The actual preparations take just 10 minutes, then you can slow-roast the meat on a bed of veggies for extra flavour.
Pork crackling recipe
Ingredients
- 2kg large pork leg joint with rind
- Three garlic cloves, sliced
- 15g fresh sage, leaves finely sliced
- Three large onions, thickly sliced
- Two tbsp vegetable oil
- One tbsp sea salt flakes
The recipe has stellar reviews from Tesco shoppers, with more than 400 five-star ratings.
One home cook shared: "Made this in a fan-forced oven on the bottom oven shelf to prevent the crackling from burning, it turned out perfectly, thanks."
For the best crackling, the Tesco Real Food Team note that "drying is important because you need the skin to be completely dry for the oil to stick to it". They warned: "Any moisture will stop the crackling developing."
Method
Two hours before cooking, remove the pork joint from its original packaging, leaving the string on, and dry it thoroughly with kitchen paper.
Take a very sharp knife to score the skin 10 to 12 times, going through to the fat but not the meat. Now leave the joint uncovered, on a plate in the fridge for one and a half hours for it to dry.
Remove the pork from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to ensure the meat returns to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to gas mark 8, 230C, fan 210C. Take a large cutting board and place the joint skin-side down.
Use a small knife to make deep holes in the meat all over, then lodge a few slices of garlic and some sage into each hole. Season lightly before scattering the onions at the base of a shallow roasting tin, then place the pork on top.
Keep the pork skin-side up, ensuring the joint rises above the sides for super crispy crackling. Rub the oil all over the meat and skin, then evenly sprinkle the sea salt all over.
Add 400ml to 500ml of water (enough to cover the base of the tin), taking care not to wet the pork skin, or this will prevent crispiness.
Roast for 25 minutes at the preheated temperature, then lower to 180C, fan 160C, and roast for a further two hours. You can top up the base of the dish with water to prevent the onions from burning.
Teso's food team noted: "If the crackling isn't crisp and golden after two hours, increase the heat to gas 8, 230C, fan 210C, and cook for another 10 minutes or so."
When the pork is crispy enough, loosely wrap it with foil and set aside to rest for 20 minutes before serving.
