Roast Pork with Perfect Crackling
4.8 from 25 votes

What better way to complete your weekend than with a roast dinner. And roast pork with wonderful crackling is a popular choice for me and many.

There is no secret science to getting the perfect crackling you desire, and together with the pork why not try some delicious mash potatoes included in this recipe.

This roast pork cooking method promises a perfect crackling and delicious moist pork. Also included is my favourite way to make the best tasting mash potatoes.

served roast pork with mash and gravy

If any of these methods are not quite to your taste then they are so easily adaptable as each step, ingredient or cooking time is adaptable to get your own level of crispiness of pork or creaminess of mash potatoes.

Enjoy.

Roast Pork with Perfect Crackling

Roast Pork with Perfect Crackling

Recipe by Paul Steele
4.8 from 25 votes

What better way to complete your weekend than with a roast dinner. And roast pork with wonderful crackling is a popular choice for me and many.

Course: DinnerCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Medium
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

30

minutes
Cooking time

2

hours 

30

minutes
Calories

480

kcal

Ingredients

  • Leg joint of pork, weighing approx 1kg

  • 6 large potatoes

  • 2 knobs of butter

  • Salt & Pepper

  • 350 ml stock

  • 3 carrots

  • 1 medium onion

  • 1 tbsp plain flour

  • splash of milk

  • dash of mustard

  • grated cheese

Directions

  • Firstly, leave your pork out of the fridge to reach room temperature for about an hour or so and preheat your oven as hot as it will go – usually 240c.
  • To prepare your pork, if it isn’t already scored, cut the fat in lines with a very sharp knife being careful not to cut the string.
  • Liberally grind plenty of sea salt and some black pepper onto the scored fat and rub in well.
  • Quarter an onion and cut a carrot into large chunks to use as a bed for the pork.
  • Now lay your pork on top of the veg in a roasting tin.
  • When the oven has reached optimum temperature, place the pork in, uncovered, and time it for 30 minutes. This allows the fat to blister and crisp up.
  • After the 30 minutes reduce the oven temperature to 180 C, cover the pork with foil and cook for a further 2 hours. At this point, prick the potatoes with a sharp knife and put in the oven with the pork.
  • Remove just the potatoes after about 1.5 hours, cut them in half and scoop out the middles, pushing it through a sieve.
  • When all the potatoes are sieved, add a splash of milk, a knob of butter, salt, pepper, a little grated cheese and a dash of mustard (cheese and mustard optional).
  • Mix vigorously with a fork until all the ingredients are well blended. Prepare and cook your other optional vegetables.
  • When the pork has done its further 2 hours cooking remove it and leave to rest.
  • To make your gravy prepare 350ml stock.
  • Remove the pork, carrot and onion from the tin. pour the a little boiling water into the tin and scrape off the remnants of the pork from the tin. Add this to the stock.
  • Melt a knob of butter in a saucepan, taking care not to burn it. add a tbsp of plain flour and whisk, cooking for a minute, this prevents the gravy from tasting floury.
  • Now pour the stock into the butter/flour mix, whisking constantly until this thickens.
  • Slice your pork and serve with the mash, gravy and your chosen vegetables.

Enjoy!

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