I've been getting consistently good results with this method (and compliments from my mother- and sister-in-law), and thought I'd share. If anyone tries this, let me know how it goes. If there's any other tips, feel free to share!
Get yourself your favourite cut of pork roast (mine is forequarter - cheap, tasty, can be a bit fatty, and some annoying bones while carving), and make sure it is fully defrosted by leaving in the fridge for a day or two, or use straight from the butcher. Don't defrost in the microwave, as I've found that this ruins the crackling for some reason.
Pre-heat a fan-forced oven to about 180C (about 350F).
Grab your favourite roasting tray, and put a wire rack over the tray. Sit the pork on the wire rack.
On a cutting board, spread a thin layer of salt, pepper, and crushed or chopped fennel seed. By thin, I mean think of the cutting board as your piece of pork, and cover with as much salt/pepper as you would normally use to season, maybe a bit more, and add about a teaspoon of chopped or crushed fennel seeds. Make sure you've got a decent sized cutting board, large enough to roll the cut of pork around a bit.
The fennel seeds are optional, but they add a really nice aniseed note that works very well with pork (and apple sauce). The salt is mandatory.
Pour boiling water over the pork skin - straight out of the kettle, immediately after it boils. The skin should visibly tighten up, pulling away from the gashes in the skin and fat that the butcher puts in, and should turn slightly gelatinous. Any boiling water over the flesh should turn the flesh grey, the same colour as cooked pork. Splash Olive oil over the skin, and rub evenly to distribute all over the cut of pork. Discard the water.
Grab the cut of pork, and place it skin-side down on the cutting board. Roll the pork around to pick up the fennel, salt and pepper mixture on all sides. Massage the mixture in a bit. Return the pork to the wire rack, skin-side up.
Add a bit more salt and pepper to the skin, so the skin has an even coating of salt (you probably rubbed most of the salt/pepper/fennel mixture into the slashes in the skin, that's fine and very tasty).
Roast for 30 minutes per 500g (per lb), you'll get somewhere from medium-rare to medium, depending on where it's cut (closer to the centre it will be closer to rare). In the last 30 minutes, bump up the temperature to 200C (390F) for 20 minutes, then check if the crackling is done - if it needs a bit more then 220C (430F) for the last 10 minutes. Try turning the cut around in the oven to get the maximum surface area of skin, or the bits of skin that haven't yet turned into crackling, towards the heat source in your oven (flame or electric element, usually at the back).
Remove from the oven when the crackling looks awesome. Let it stand for 10-15 minutes before carving (I usually start cooking veggies while letting the roast stand).
Serve with roast potatoes (cook in the roasting pan, under the wire rack, for 45 mins to an hour - I've got a great tip for cooking roast potatoes too, just ask if you're interested), roast pumpkin (if that's your thing, I don't like pumpkin), steamed broccoli, cauliflower and carrot. Add apple sauce to the pork, and gravy to everything.
Get yourself your favourite cut of pork roast (mine is forequarter - cheap, tasty, can be a bit fatty, and some annoying bones while carving), and make sure it is fully defrosted by leaving in the fridge for a day or two, or use straight from the butcher. Don't defrost in the microwave, as I've found that this ruins the crackling for some reason.
Pre-heat a fan-forced oven to about 180C (about 350F).
Grab your favourite roasting tray, and put a wire rack over the tray. Sit the pork on the wire rack.
On a cutting board, spread a thin layer of salt, pepper, and crushed or chopped fennel seed. By thin, I mean think of the cutting board as your piece of pork, and cover with as much salt/pepper as you would normally use to season, maybe a bit more, and add about a teaspoon of chopped or crushed fennel seeds. Make sure you've got a decent sized cutting board, large enough to roll the cut of pork around a bit.
The fennel seeds are optional, but they add a really nice aniseed note that works very well with pork (and apple sauce). The salt is mandatory.
Pour boiling water over the pork skin - straight out of the kettle, immediately after it boils. The skin should visibly tighten up, pulling away from the gashes in the skin and fat that the butcher puts in, and should turn slightly gelatinous. Any boiling water over the flesh should turn the flesh grey, the same colour as cooked pork. Splash Olive oil over the skin, and rub evenly to distribute all over the cut of pork. Discard the water.
Grab the cut of pork, and place it skin-side down on the cutting board. Roll the pork around to pick up the fennel, salt and pepper mixture on all sides. Massage the mixture in a bit. Return the pork to the wire rack, skin-side up.
Add a bit more salt and pepper to the skin, so the skin has an even coating of salt (you probably rubbed most of the salt/pepper/fennel mixture into the slashes in the skin, that's fine and very tasty).
Roast for 30 minutes per 500g (per lb), you'll get somewhere from medium-rare to medium, depending on where it's cut (closer to the centre it will be closer to rare). In the last 30 minutes, bump up the temperature to 200C (390F) for 20 minutes, then check if the crackling is done - if it needs a bit more then 220C (430F) for the last 10 minutes. Try turning the cut around in the oven to get the maximum surface area of skin, or the bits of skin that haven't yet turned into crackling, towards the heat source in your oven (flame or electric element, usually at the back).
Remove from the oven when the crackling looks awesome. Let it stand for 10-15 minutes before carving (I usually start cooking veggies while letting the roast stand).
Serve with roast potatoes (cook in the roasting pan, under the wire rack, for 45 mins to an hour - I've got a great tip for cooking roast potatoes too, just ask if you're interested), roast pumpkin (if that's your thing, I don't like pumpkin), steamed broccoli, cauliflower and carrot. Add apple sauce to the pork, and gravy to everything.
As a matter of fact I made Pernil for the first time over the weekend, it was delicious.
