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Pork crackling is as important a part of my Christmas dinner as the ham or the pudding.
Every year my dad makes a delicious Christmas cocktail to greet all the family when we arrive, each year its different and sometimes quite experimental, but this is generally when the crackling gets eaten as no one can wait till dinner time cocktails and crackling what better way to start a beautiful Christmas evening
Since most of us in Australia will buy a Smoked Leg of Ham and you cant use the skin off this, you will need to buy the pork skin separately from your butcher. It is so cheap, if not free if you are lucky, so buy up big.
There are some vital elements to making this that will determine whether you succeed or fail
Firstly, get pork skin that has quite a bit of fat still under the skin, at minimum there needs to be .5cm. Its the the contrast of the juicy fat under the crispy skin that makes pork crackling perfect!
Secondly, get your butcher to score the skin. You may think you can do it yourself but trying to score skin thats flat on a bench is really hard. They have super sharp knives and can do it seconds flat!
Finally, the pouring over of the boiling water is what will open up the scored skin, which will then let in the salt, which then forms the crispy skin. Without one process the others wont work.
Pork skin its so cheap so get more than you think you will need because it will get eaten with people still wanting more! Buy from your butcher and make sure the pieces you get have a good thickness of fat underneath the skin this is vital to perfect crackling! There needs to be at least .5cm 1cm of fat under the skin. Ask your butcher to score the skin for you, they have the knives for it.
Boiling water
1/4 c salt
Pre heat oven to a very hot 220°
Put the scored pork skin on a plate and place in the kitchen sink.
Pour over boiling water and you will see the score marks open up. This is an important part to getting the salt to sit on it.
Remove from the sink and pat dry, lay on a large baking tray with shallow to mid height sides. There will be quite a bit of liquid fat and you dont want that dripping all over your oven.
Rub the salt all over the top of the skin making sure you get it in the score marks.
Place in the oven, top shelf and cook for about 20-30 mins. Keep an eye on it and turn up or down the temperature after 20 mins if it hasnt browned or is getting too brown.
It is perfect when its golden in colour and the skin has bubbled up.
Enjoy with a beer or a Christmas cocktail Salty, porky goodness!
5.0
from3
reviewsHow to make perfect pork crackling
Prep time
5 mins
Cook time
30 mins
Total time
If you want to learn more, please visit our website why is heat necessary to pop popcorn.
35 mins
Enjoy with a beer or a Christmas cocktail Salty, porky goodness!
Author:
Blondie
Recipe type:
Snack | Dinner Sides
Cuisine:
Christmas
Serves:
8
Ingredients
Method
3.5.
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When you wait all week for your Sunday roast, there is nothing worse than preparing for golden, crispy pork crackling and getting soft and rubbery pork rind. Well, thanks to this article, your chewy pork days are over. Stay tuned for our best secrets to the perfect pork crackling, sure to take your Sunday roasts to the next level.
Simply, crackling is pork rind, which is the skin that sits on top of a layer of fat and meat. If you follow our simple steps, you can transform this layer of skin into the golden, crackling goodness that will likely not even make it to the plate.
Let's get crackling.
When it comes to a roast, you want as little waste as possible, which is why it's best to choose a boneless cut. Rolled loin and belly are our top picks for an easy to cook and carve roast.
As with other proteins, different cuts of pork will produce slightly different flavors. The loin is sweetest and leanest, however just be careful of overdoing it. With the highest fat to meat ratio, pork belly has become very popular in cooking, mainly because it's delicious and versatile.
We have a whole guide on choosing the right cut for you, feel free to go check it out after you have mastered your crackle.
If you want your neighbors to hear the crunch of your crackling, then scoring the rind with a sharp knife is where you will start. Luckily, most butchers and producers will handle this part for you given they have much, much sharper knives than you.
If you find yourself needing to DIY, choose the sharpest cutting utensil you have, usually a Stanley knife, and score at 1cm intervals. Make sure not to cut into the meat, just the fat layer.
Ensure the rind is as dry as possible.
The first thing you want to do is pat down your roast with paper towel, to get it as dry as possible. If possible, leave uncovered in the fridge overnight to dry out even further. This will get you the crackle you seek.
Next, rub oil and a whole lot of salt into the scored skin, really working it into the slits of the score marks. This is really important, the salt will react with the fat layer of the roast, and cause the rind to puff up and create that nice crackling texture.
Finally, start really hot and the reduce. We recommend between 220C and 240C for 20 - 30 minutes, followed by a reduction to between 160C and 180C.
Pork meat is best when it is just on the verge of being white. Be guided by your recipe, but also keep a close eye on your meat.
Use a meat thermometer for perfectly cooked pork and always rest for at least 20 minutes.
Now go forth and crackle!
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