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Roast pork with crispy crackling

Name: Roast pork with crispy crackling
Yield: Serves 8
Cuisine: British recipes
Ingredients: 1.5kg pork loin, boned and rolled (ask your butcher to score along the skin, 1cm apart); 1 tbsp sea salt; For the herb and onion stuffing; 1 tbsp olive oil; Knob of butter; 1 onion, finely chopped; 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped; 20-25 fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped; Small bunch of fresh thyme, leaves picked and chopped; Large bunch of fresh parsley, leaves picked and chopped; 50g melted butter; 75g fresh breadcrumbs; 50g pine nuts, toasted

Published: 30 Sep 11
Updated: 18 Mar 24

Is this the ultimate portable pork roast recipe? Not only will it have a perfectly cooked, crisp, golden crackling when it’s done, it’s so simple that you could even make it in a camper van like Liz Edwards did in her recent Times feature. Why settle for less, when you’re cooking away from home…

And for next time, why not try Gill Meller’s one-pot roast pork and crackling with apples, lemon and thyme.

Easy
October 2011

Test kitchen approved

Serves 8
20 minutes to make, 1 hour 20-40 minutes to cook, plus 'drying'

And for next time, why not try Gill Meller’s one-pot roast pork and crackling with apples, lemon and thyme.

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 479kcals
Fat: 28.8g (9.9g saturated)
Protein: 46.8g
Carbohydrates: 8.2g (1.2g sugars)
Fibre: 0.8g
Salt: 1.2g

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Ingredients

1.5kg pork loin, boned and rolled (ask your butcher to score along the skin, 1cm apart)
1 tbsp sea salt

For the herb and onion stuffing

1 tbsp olive oil
Knob of butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
20-25 fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped
Small bunch of fresh thyme, leaves picked and chopped
Large bunch of fresh parsley, leaves picked and chopped
50g melted butter
75g fresh breadcrumbs
50g pine nuts, toasted

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Method

Pat the pork dry with kitchen towel and leave uncovered in the fridge for 2 hours to dry. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 240°C/fan220°C/gas 9, or as high as it will go. For the stuffing, heat the oil and butter in a frying pan and gently sauté the onion for 8 minutes until softened. Add the garlic for the last 30 seconds. Set aside to cool.
Unroll the pork loin onto a chopping board, skin-side down, long side facing you. Starting and finishing about 2cm from each end, cut a pocket into the pork loin about two-thirds of the way through, to hold the stuffing.
In a bowl, mix the onion and garlic together with the remaining stuffing ingredients and season well. Fill the pocket with the stuffing and roll the loin around, securing at 2cm intervals with kitchen string (here’s a step-by-step picture guide on how to do this, or you watch this video). Rub the skin with 1 tbsp sea salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper, working it well into the cuts.

Put the pork on a trivet or rack in a roasting tray and roast in the hot oven for 30 minutes. Turn the heat down to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6 and roast for a further 50 minutes to 1 hour or until the pork is cooked through, basting the pork halfway through with the pan juices.
Remove the pork from the oven, cover with foil and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Carve into generous slices, discarding the string as you go. Divide among warm plates, drizzling over any resting or pan juices. Serve with seasonal vegetables and roast potatoes.

Recipe from October 2011 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 479kcals
Fat: 28.8g (9.9g saturated)
Protein: 46.8g
Carbohydrates: 8.2g (1.2g sugars)
Fibre: 0.8g
Salt: 1.2g

delicious. tips

A loin of pork is the ideal roasting joint because it has a thick layer of fat under the skin, which keeps the meat tender and moist while roasting. There are two things necessary for great crackling: a nice dry rind and a thick layer of fat underneath.