Crackling

mummyof3_2

We're having roast pork for dinner tomorrow and i love crackling. However when i cook pork the crackling ain't crackling!
I score it, put salt on it and generally have it in the oven at a high temp for 15 mins. What am I doing wrong?

wigglebeena

If it's not done enough I cut it off and give it five minutes under the grill. Be careful though, 30 seconds too long and you've got charcoal.

cymrugirl

I tried to do it last week and I made sure the roast was dry by patting it with kitchen paper. Then I made deep scores, rubbed sea salt all over it and brushed with a little olive oil. Put in top shelf in oven and cooked it at 220 celsius for 25 mins and then lowered to 190. Not sure you need to brush with oil but it came out great.

wickychoo

Right, I'm not the cook but DH is and he does superb crackling! So here's his tips for perfect crackling (scoring and salting is a must):

• ensure the skin is dry
• preferably don't use a rolled joint
• high temperature should be as hot as your oven goes and maybe leave it for 20 mins not just 15
• if the crackling isn't "coming on" towards the end of cooking time, give it a blitz on the highest heat at the end as pork shouldn't be rare so you can give it the extra cooking for the crackling without comprimising the meat

We're having pork tomorrow too, and I'm looking forward to it even more with all this talk of crackling! :rotfl:
Hope that helps!

emmaroids

pour a kettle of boiling water over it and make sure its dry before going into a very hot oven (dont salt the skin side) for about 30 mins then cook as normal.

never fails.

could also depend on what cut your using?

rolled wont work, leg maybe but shoulder works everytime.

bltchef

pat dry your pork first place in a shallow try and place in the fridge fow a couble of hrs uncoverd this will help try the skin then rub in the salt cook in a shallow try that will stop a steam riseing and make you pork crackling soft

icecubequeen

We had a pork joint last week and had perfect crackling without really doing anything to it.

I just bunged the joint in the oven, cooked the joint on a very low temperature for a few hours, then turned it up high for the last half hr, the crackling was perfect.

dolly_day_dream

I find it really depends on the joint - I find it really difficult to get good crackling from a supermarket joint cos there just isn't enough fat there in the first place. Hand of pork used to be the best but that is getting really hard to find these days. Make sure that you have scored down deeply, I always add salt, and a hot oven to begin with and then at the end. My family fight over the crackling.

Olliebeak

I'm never sure what I'm supposed to do to get good crackling but I always seem to manage it. The only bit that isn't good is that bit from underneath the joint. Maybe I should cook it on a trivet to keep the underneath out of the meat juices - or perhaps turn it part way through it's time. But I am so lucky to be the only one in my house who likes the crackling:j .

odds-n-sods

You can cook pork pink nowadays! As pigs aren't fed the junk they used to be, look here for cooking guides: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/get_cooking/cooks_guide/pork.shtml

I wouldnt' cook it as rare as beef, but it can be slightly pink in the middle. Will be moister and have more flavour than well-done.

odds-n-sods

And I dont' like crackling! But I used to eat pig skin when my Dad cooked a ham - he'd cut it off the fat and it would be juicy and chewy, not sure I could eat it now!