It should come as no surprise that everyone loves a good crackle on their pork, so I’m going to share some advice with you on how to get it. Dry skin, salt, and high heat are the key ingredients in creating the pork crackle. For the greatest effects, give yourself at least 24 hours.
Here are the 9 Steps For The Perfect Pork Crackle
- Use a belly with all the skin intact or a rolled shoulder/neck. I discovered that applying these cuts produces the finest outcomes.
- At intervals of around 1 cm, score the skin. Only the skin should be cut; a small amount of the underlying fat is acceptable. Avoid storing the flesh since doing so will cause moisture to escape and cause the meat to dry out. Make sure to use a really sharp knife, or my personal favourite, a box cutter or Stanley knife with a lockable blade length.
- Yes, you heard correctly, but not to brew a cup of tea. Boiling water shrinks softens, and opens up the rind, allowing salt and oil to penetrate more deeply into the skin. Try not to let the water touch the meat side as you only pour it on the skin side.
- Dry the skin with a towel, then place it on a rack in a baking pan. Use a moist vinegar towel to wipe the skin’s surface. This helps to dry out the skin and can also lessen any odour from the pork.
- The initial salting Given the wide variety of salts available (trust me, I’ve tested the vast majority), in my opinion, Kosher salt and Malden salt, are the two greatest choices. Just apply this evenly to your skin. AVOID USING ANY OIL AT THIS POINT. Place the tray in the refrigerator now, uncovered, for at least 24 hours. The liquid can drain off the pork when it is positioned at an angle.
- Second salting The next day (24 hours later), remove the pork from the refrigerator, remove any excess moisture, and re-season with a thin, even layer of salt. Place it back in the refrigerator and on the rack at an angle. You can omit the second salting if you need to get started cooking right away.
- The following day, remove the pork from the refrigerator, blot it dry, and season the meat portion of the pig with your favourite pork rub; alternatively, a little mild salt and pepper will do. Add more salt to the skin, and let’s start the celebration!
- So it’s time to get the crackling to actually start crackling. The most important thing to keep in mind is HIGH HEAT from the beginning, whether over wood, gas or natural lump charcoal (but seriously, why gas??). Pat the area dry as the crackling takes shape to ensure that no moisture is left on the skin. My preference is to use a small spit roaster since the height of the spit above the charcoal allows for rapid and simple temperature control. When cooking in the oven, be sure to only add the pork when the temperature is above 220°c and cook it for at least 30 minutes before lowering the temperature to 180°c.
- It is okay to remove the pork when the internal temperature reaches 75°C, but you can leave it in a little longer to allow for some further fat rendering. If you want consistent results when cooking meat, you must use an instant-read meat thermometer. After removing the meat from the spit or oven, you should let it rest for 15 minutes uncovered before cutting it and serving. A loud crunch can be heard. Enjoy!
Must I say more?
The above pork was cooked on an Auspit Portable Rotisserie in the Auspit Firepit. Check our complete Range of Camping Spit
