How to Cook Perfect Crackling on Roast Pork

Roasting meat can be one of the most satisfying meals of the year, but only if you do it right. What’s a pork roast without those perfect crackling roast pork tips? Definitely missing out on its full potential! After you read this article, you’ll know exactly how to make the crackling roast pork recipe that will make your family and friends beg for more. Simply follow the instructions and tips below, and you’re well on your way to mastering this roast pork recipe.

How Do I Pick My Pork?

Obviously, you can’t have a good pork roast without a good cut of pork. So be picky when you choose at the supermarket or butcher’s shop. A good chunk of boneless pork butt or pork shoulder is the best option for a crackling pork roast. They have enough fat on the outside to make the insides juicy and tender and get that crispiness going on the outer layer.

Whatever you do, just don’t pick out a lean cut of meat. It may not be suitable for your fat-free diet, but your taste buds will be happy you went with the more decadent cut of pork. If you don’t want to use the butt or shoulder, go for the belly or leg piece that has a nice layer of fattiness lining its exterior.

Keep in mind if you choose a butt or belly cut, you will be roasting your pork for longer–totally worth the wait though!

How Much Pork Should I Get?

If you’re feeding between 4 and 6 people, get a 3 or 4 pound cut of boneless pork. If you’re getting a piece with a bone in it, get double the weight. So 6 or 8 pounds will feed 4 to 6 people. Feeding between 6 and 8 people? Get between 4 and 5 pounds of boneless cut. Bone-in? Get 8 to 10 pounds. I always get more than I need so I can have pork roast for leftover meals throughout the week.

Tips to Know Before You Dive Into the Recipe

1. If you want a perfect crackling on your roast pork, you’re going to need the skin to be completely dry. The best way to ensure that is to leave your pork cut unwrapped in the fridge for a few hours. Pat it dry with a paper towel if you don’t have time to waste.
2. Don’t start roasting your pork until it has enough time to warm up to room temperature. To do this, be sure you cover the pork and store it in a dry place in your kitchen. If your kitchen is typically warm, put it in a pantry or somewhere where it stays fairly cool. If you take the pork cut out of the fridge, expect to wait for 1 to 2 hours until it is warmed up enough to room temp for roasting.
3. Score the skin. If you’ve never scored meat before, it’s a super easy thing to do. Simply take a sharp knife and give your outer layer of skin some quick, deep cuts. Do so in an ‘X’ marking motion. Each cut should be roughly 1 inch long. If you have some time to score the skin and leave your pork cut in the fridge for a couple hours, this will significantly help your chances of having a beautiful, even crackled skin.

4. Be sure you have a reliable meat thermometer to test your pork’s temperature later. Nothing is worse than taking the time to make a pork roast and pulling it out too soon or too late. ThermoPro has reliable meat thermometers that are wireless and handy for so many different kinds of cooking.
5. Make sure you have the proper cooking equipment for the oven. A pork roast does the best cooking in a roasting pot with a raised wire rack placed inside of it. This way the juices can run freely to the bottom and still flavor the roast without making the skin soggy. This is another secret to make sure you pork skin will be crispy and delicious.

World’s Best Crackling Pork Recipe

Ingredients

• Pork roast cut
• Olive oil or vinegar for seasoning skin
• Salt and pepper for seasoning skin (usually a couple tablespoons of salt and one teaspoon or a tablespoon of pepper)
• A few garlic cloves

Pre-Oven Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 460F. Note that you are going to turn it down part way through cooking.
2. Once your pork roast is warmed up to room temperature, the skin is dry, and it’s been properly scored, you’re ready to start seasoning your cut and oiling it up.

PS: Don’t be afraid to use your hands to rub the oil, salt, pepper, and spices deep into the pork cut. It’s especially important to get it worked in near those scored cuts you did earlier. Take the time to do this part, and you’ll be looking at a nice layer of crackling crust coming out of the oven later.

3. Place your roast cut on the wire rack in your pot. I typically add a few garlic cloves to the bottom of the pot so you get some garlic flavors. You can use the garlic cloves later to make into a nice paste that can be rubbed on the pork roast.

Make sure your oven is thoroughly pre-heated before you place your beautiful roast in the oven. Use your ThermoPro thermometer to check just in case your oven’s temperature reader is no longer accurate (happens to the best of ovens).

Once Your Roast Is In The Oven

1. Roast for 50 minutes at temp or until skin begins to crackle.
2. Reduce heat to 350F. Roast for another hour or hour and a half depending on the size of your cut.
3. Turn up the oven temperature up to 440F for another ten minutes to give your roast that amazing golden crackling touch. Use a thermometer to test the inner temperature of the roast. An excellent cooked temperature for roast pork is 160F.
4. Remove from the oven and let your pork roast sit for at least 15 minutes before you cut it open. This is important because the juices need to settle. If you cut too soon, all of the juices will flow out of the meat, and you won’t get that nice, juicy bite that everyone craves.

Traditionally, a pork roast is served with some sort of sweet sauce or fruit compote. Applesauce, pineapple rings, cherry chutney, and roasted pears are all delicious pairings with your pork roast.