Perfect pork crackling
Monday 16 June, 2008 | Ask the Expert: Constantine Laptev
I HAVE been venturing out with pork roasts as a change from lamb and chicken. Although I get the meat just right I fall down on the crackling – it is never airy and bubbly like my mum used to make. How do I get light-as-air crackling instead of chewy disappointment? And can you recommend a particular cut – it is instant confusion for me when I see it all on the supermarket shelves.
Our expert is Constantine Laptev, who ran the kitchens in a number of major restaurants before moving into his own gourmet packaged food business.
Your question is likely to arouse some controversy among chefly ranks, with everyone having their own ideas and techniques.
I will give you two suggestions – a more traditional ‘chefly’ one and one that may break some of the rules and raise some purist eyebrows – but I find it works every time and is easy as pie.
We are generally taught that, to get the crackling ‘just right’ we need to:
- Make sure the skin is scored crosswise at nice close 5mm intervals.
- Pour boiling water (a litre or more from the kettle) over the skin to render some of the fat, drain it and repeat several times.
- When thoroughly dry rub the skin with vinegar and salt.
- If possible, leave the roast in the fridge overnight once you have done that.
- Cook the pork on a rack in the oven at a very high temperature (220 degrees Celsius) for the first 15-20 minutes to ‘crackle’ the skin, then turn it down to about 180 degrees for the remainder of the cooking time.
For a work-every-time treat (that’s also quicker and simpler) try this:
- Make sure the skin is scored crosswise at nice close 5mm intervals as for the above method.
- Massage a couple teaspoons of salt into the skin (while saying a prayer for your arteries).
- Stick the pork straight into the pre-heated oven on a rack on at least 220 (or 210 fan forced), and keep it on that temperature for 30-45 minutes until you can see the skin really browning and bubbling up, then turn it down to around 160-170 to finish it off. Keep an eye on it as you don’t want to burn the skin – if it blackens in patches it’s well time to turn it down.
- When the pork meat is cooked (remember it may take a shorter time than you’re used to because of the high initial temperature), remove it from the oven.
- With a sharp knife, remove all of the crackling and return it to the oven on a rack at 180, for around 15 minutes. While you do this, wrap the pork in foil and leave it to rest as you would any other roast meat.
- While the pork is resting and the crackling getting its extra ‘crackle’, you can make the gravy, finish off the other vegies and so on.
- Serve the crackling cut into portions in a separate bowl. Prepare for fights – you may want to suggest that your guests take a number to ensure they don’t sneak extra!
As for the best cuts, lately I have been enjoying the delicious Bangalow pork available from good butchers. For roasting I have been using the loin – you can buy it bone-in on the rack or, as I prefer it, have it boned and rolled for crackling galore. The pork neck is also delicious and a good value cut, but you will get less crackling from this. Of course, the leg is also a traditional favourite for roasting.
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