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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Buderim qld
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    842

    Default Getting Perfect Pork Crackling

    If you search the internet there are lots of suggestions. Score the fat and rub it with salt; apply lemon juice; pre-dry the skin with a hair dryer; rub it with beer and salt; hot oven during the initial cooking phase.

    What works for you?

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Mornington Peninsula
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    48
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    2,825

    Default

    I dry it off with paper towel then rub a cut lemon across it. I've found it needs to be from a cut lemon, the juice from a bottle didn't work for me.

    We used to rub with olive oil and salt but had mixed results.
    It's only a mistake if you don't learn from it.

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Maryborough, QLD
    Posts
    81

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    For me the secret is in the salt. Use a really coarse rock salt as this plays a major role in the result. I first give the pork a light rub of oil to help the rock salt stick then cook at 200 degrees C till the meat is done. A meat thermometer is essential to get it right. Don't be shy with the salt either. I end up putting on a good few table spoons of it.

    If the meat is cooked before the crackle is perfect you can always use the microwave method. Remove the offending soft crackle from the meat and nuke it at full power for 30 seconds at a time until it's perfect.

    Steve

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Canberra
    Age
    47
    Posts
    1,484

    Default

    I've worked on this for some time, but the answer is so simple. Buy your meat from the butcher where it's not wrapped in plastic, floating in a soup of its own juices. Then I score it, rub it with a little bit of salt and leave it uncovered in the fridge for a day or, preferably, two. The skin dries out nicely. I rub it with some vegetable oil (it cooks at a higher temp than olive oil) rub in a bit of salt (I use fine salt, but whatever floats your boat) then cook at 250 for the first 30 mins, dropping to 180 for the rest.

    If you want something truly amazing, follow those steps, but cook at 150 for 4 hours or more at the end. Slow cooked meat is so much better than normal roasting it is not funny. Pork is no exception. I do this with pork belly when I can, with the meat side rubbed with a mixture of rosemary, fennel, garlic, olive oil and lemon rind. Delicious.

    Trav
    Some days we are the flies; some days we are the windscreen

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Port Huon
    Posts
    2,685

    Default

    Pour some boiling water over the skin and then pat dry.
    The water will heat the skin and open up the slits cut in it.
    Add salt if desired.
    20 minutes or so in a really hot oven to get it started.

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Dandenong, Vic
    Posts
    2,029

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by snowyskiesau View Post
    Pour some boiling water over the skin and then pat dry.
    The water will heat the skin and open up the slits cut in it.
    Add salt if desired.
    20 minutes or so in a really hot oven to get it started.
    Agree, 20 mins on the hottest you can get at the start then turn down to 180 for the rest.

    If it doesn't come up enough or brittle enough.
    a minute or 2 under the griller always gets it puffed up and brittle.

  8. #7
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Not far enough away from Melbourne
    Posts
    4,200

    Default

    I start out with a nice bit of leg pork and score the skin about half an inch wide right through the skin.

    I cut some slits in the meat through the scoring slots and insert slivers of either ginger or garlic into the meat to add flavour.

    I dry the skin with a paper towel then rub in some apple cider vinegar. I then grind some Himalayan mineral salt onto the skin while the vinegar is still damp.

    I sit the meat on a roasting rack in a baking tray with some water in the bottom with some onion and garlic and whatever herbs I want to use for the gravy.

    I put that straight into a hot oven, around 230 degrees. I remove the crackling once it is done, usually 25 to 40 minutes. It seems to vary with each individual piece so I tend to watch it closely until the crackle is done. I then remove the crackle and hide it, or there wont be any to go with the meal. Then I turn it down and let it cook at about 180 degrees and check the water level in the baking tray.

    Once it is cooked, I place the meat on a plate and return it to the oven with the crackle and turn the oven off and let it sit while I make the gravy from the pan juices. This warms the crackle back up again.

    It seems to be very popular.
    I got sick of sitting around doing nothing - so I took up meditation.

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    vic clayton
    Posts
    1,042

    Default

    Riiiiiiiiiight... Get 2 bits of cold gravel (four yorkshire men)


    I use a shoulder of pork let it sit in fridge uncovered for 24 hours then make a stuffing of bacon onions sage rosemary thyme dried apricots salt pepper pork mince olive oil and an egg yolk to bind it together slather it on the inside roll and tie it up then I salt the skin and leave overnight in fridge cook the next day on a bed of onions cut in half for 1/2 hour at 260 reduce to 160 for 4-5 hours very crackly skin beautiful moist meat .


    and you try and tell the yonguns of today that and they wont beleive you.
    Some people are like slinkies - not really good for anything, but they
    bring a smile to your face when pushed down the stairs .

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    vic clayton
    Posts
    1,042

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    ta dahhhhhhh
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Some people are like slinkies - not really good for anything, but they
    bring a smile to your face when pushed down the stairs .

  11. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Deception Bay Qld
    Posts
    213

    Default

    I heard the other day not to use cryovac pork if you want good crackling. I will never find out as I prefer lamb roasts.

  12. #11
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Not far enough away from Melbourne
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    4,200

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by whitey56 View Post
    I heard the other day not to use cryovac pork if you want good crackling. I will never find out as I prefer lamb roasts.

    Can you give me a tip on how to get the lamb to crackle? It never works as well as pork for me

    Doug
    I got sick of sitting around doing nothing - so I took up meditation.

  13. #12
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Deception Bay Qld
    Posts
    213

    Default

    Hi Doug
    I think crackle from lamb would be difficult seeing it has only fat and not skin like pork, I just oil and heavily salt mine for the taste I am after, you could rub Gravox into it also.

    Regards
    Whitey

  14. #13
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    McBride BC Canada
    Posts
    3,543

    Default

    I haven't done a pork piece indoors in years.
    Anything warmer than -10C is BBQ weather.
    Best bark: after the dry rub, it has to sit for some juice to mix
    with the rub.
    Normally I run apple wood for smoke for the first 60-90 minutes.
    Not too much but I want a good smoke ring.
    Little stuff, maybe 3 hrs at 275F. Big = double the time.

    Some like a spritz with apple cider and brown sugar, I can't be bothered.

    These days I have gassers #1 & 14 at my GF's house,
    #15, 16 & 17 are out at my place in the mountains.
    I left 3 at the lake, my kids have a couple, the rest I burnt out
    beyond rehab.

    #16 will do 4 chickens and 4 racks of pork side ribs in each load.
    Spuds, corn and whatever for the last hour.

  15. #14
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Normanhurst NSW 2076
    Age
    81
    Posts
    484

    Default Pork crackling.

    Well now. As the son of a butcher and long-time cook of all our Xmas fare (meats)
    I have found that the only way that works is:
    1. Ensure skin is dry. Paper towel is sufficient.
    2. Rub with olive oil and salt. (I dont use lemon)
    3. If you are doing say a leg or loin then ensure high heat to start with and then cut back.
    What I do is cook it on the Weber with briquettes for about 45 mins. per kilo. Perfect outcome every time. Beautiful taste.
    4. Do not cover with foil when cooked as this will soften the crackling.
    5. I also buy extra pork skin. Same process as above - dry salt and olive oil only.
    6. If using gas stove for the skin (only) I place on wire tray sitting above baking dish & I turn this up to about 220 for about 15-20 minutes and then cut back to about 180 for 10.
    Works a treat. I have used this process for many years. (I think this also depends on how effective your stove is - electric may be a little different.)
    Hope this helps. Drillit.

  16. #15
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    McBride BC Canada
    Posts
    3,543

    Default

    Thanks, Drillit: something new to try.
    I have 3 dry rubs for red meats but they are all beginning to taste much the same.

    Another stunt that a Culinary Arts teaching chef suggested is/was to get the beef/pork all ready
    then roll it in instant coffee then into the BBQ. Have not tried it.

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