So what is the absolute best part of a Pork Roast?  Yes – the crackling!  That ever so tasty crunchy part of the roast that everyone fights over – well they do in my house!

By contrast, I’m sure we’ve all had pork crackling that didn’t really make it when you are left still chewing away ten minutes later.  I have had such failures in the past but now have a fail-safe routine for creating the perfect pork crackling which I would like to share with you:

1.   Remove the joint from any packaging and pat the skin dry with a paper towel.

2.   Leave the joint, uncovered, in the fridge for at least 8 hours prior to cooking.  This allows the skin to dry out.

3.    Prior to roasting, score the skin with a very sharp knife (I use a retractable utility knife I keep just for this job), being careful not to score through to the meat.

4.    Preheat your oven to it’s highest temperature.  I actually use the Weber but your oven, if heated to a high temperature, will achieve the same result.

5.    Sit your pork roast in a roasting tin on a trivet of sliced onion and fennel and drizzle olive oil over the skin and then massage in well.  Sprinkle the skin with sea salt and massage in again.

6.    Put the roast into the oven/Weber and roast at that high temperature for 30-40 minutes.  The skin will have blistered and bubbled by this time.

7.    Reduce the temperature to 180/190 deg C and proceed to finish cooking your roast as usual.

8.    When cooked, remove the roast from the oven, allow to rest and then watch everyone fight over the crackling!