The Perfect Pork Roast
As soon as the weather starts to get cold, every Sunday a roast is on the menu at my house!
Cooking the perfect pork roast can be quite daunting, and wondering whether or not you’re going to get the perfect crackling at the end is the scariest part - but I promise you it doesn’t have to be scary!
I will share all of my favourite tips to cooking a perfectly juicy roast pork, with the perfect crackling that causes minimal stress (I hope!).
There are many ways you can dry the skin out on the pork, if you are prepared then leave it in the fridge overnight uncovered until you’re ready to cook.
If you’re craving a roast pork tonight and don’t have the time, then you can pat it dry with a paper towel and even hit it with the hairdryer to help dry it out!
The secret to perfect crackling, is to have the oven racks on lower half of the oven, and then use the “fan-forced grill” setting on 250c, and watch it closely as it crackles. Be careful though - it can burn if the pork is uneven in height! I always keep a close eye on it and remove it as soon as it’s crackled all over.
Prep Time: 10 min + overnight drying time
Cooking Time: 3 hours
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients:
2.5kg Pork shoulder - unrolled (You can purchase from Woolworths/Coles and then remove the netting and flatten!)
2 onions, halved
1 bulb of garlic, halved
1 TBS olive oil (for the meat side)
Salt & pepper (for the meat side)
1 TSP fennel seeds
1/2 TSP cumin powder
1/2 TSP dried rosemary
1 TSP olive oil (for the skin)
1.5 TSP cooking salt (for the skin)
2 cups chicken stock
Method:
Preheat oven to 160c
Remove the netting from the pork and unroll. Place on a baking tray and place in the fridge overnight for the skin to dry out. If you don’t have time for this, thoroughly dry with paper towel.
Place the pork skin side down, and then pour oil into the meat and rub it in. Salt & pepper the meat, and then add the fennel seeds, rosemary and cumin powder. Rub in and ensure it’s well covered.
Place the onion and garlic halves on the baking tray and place the pork onto them, skin side up. Use the onion to even out the height of the pork.
Rub the remaining oil into the skin, and then top with the salt. Ensure that the salt is evenly distributed over the skin - there should be no skin without salt!
Pour the stock into the tray
Place in the oven for 2.5 hours at 160c
Once 2.5 hours is up - if you have the setting on your oven that is the fan & grill setting, then turn this on and onto the highest heat (generally 250c). Keep an eye on it at all times, as soon as it crackles it will burn. So as soon as it crackles, remove from the oven!
If you do not have this setting, then turn the heat up to 250c and it should crackle in 25-30 mins.
Serve with apple sauce, gravy and roast veges and enjoy!
