Feast on this delicious roast Pork and Crackling in celebration of Christmas in July. The cooler weather here in Australia provides the perfect opportunity to cook up a hot roast dinner with all the trimmings to enjoy with your family and friends.
Ingredients:
• 1 joint of Leg, Belly, shoulder of Pork with the skin ON. Leg of pork (bone out) is the nicest – (less fatty)
• 1 onion Sliced
• 2 teaspoons fine salt
• Pepper to season
• Herbs if you like, Tarragon, Sage, Thyme etc.
The Gravy
• 2 Tablespoon cornflour or gravy thickener
• 500 ml of boiling water or better, use the water from the vegetables you have cooked
• 1 chicken stock cube.
• Salt & pepper if needed.
• Juices from the roasted pork (optional)
The Apple Sauce
• 1 Apple per person
• ½ teaspoon per apple (optional)
The Potatoes
• 2 potatoes per person
• 4-5 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
• Salt and Pepper for seasoning
The Vegetables
• Choose any vegetables that you like and are in season.
Instructions:
1.Turn oven on to 240C, 475F, Gas 9
2. Prepare the Pork. First, take a sharp knife and cut through the skin, as far as the fat layer in straight lines, about 1 finger width apart. The cuts should be 1cm apart and about 3 cms long.
3. Place meat in the sink and pour a kettle full of boiling hot water all over the skin.
4. You see the skin has separated. Pat the skin very dry with kitchen paper, and in between the cuts also. When you buy your joint of pork, be sure to choose a piece where there is a lot of skin on the ‘top’ as this is what will make the crackling. You can ask your butcher to score the lines on the skin, but make sure the cuts are down to the fat level otherwise it won’t crisp up.
5. Slice an onion and place on a baking dish. First, place some aluminium foil on the dish and be sure to have enough foil so it comes up the sides to cover any exposed meat (NOT the skin).
6. Season the underside / exposed meat part by rubbing some pepper and any other herbs you like.
7. Place the meat, skin side up on the onions and then taking the fine salt, sprinkle all over the skin, rubbing it in, and also in between the cuts.
8. Gather the foil to cover the sides of the meat where it may be exposed that is if there is no skin covering the meat. This will stop it from drying out. Adding onions will flavour the juices in the tray which will be added to the gravy and also the steam from the onions cooking will keep the pork moist as well as add flavour.
9. Place the meat in the oven and cook for 25 minutes at 240C.
10. Turn the oven down to 190 C. Cook for a further 140 minutes.
11. At this point, prepare the roast potatoes and place in the oven after the pork has finished cooking.
12. Prepare your chosen vegetables. Start cooking your vegetables when you have taken your pork out of the oven. If you want to cook them now, you will need to keep them warm somewhere or reheat.
13. When the cook time is up for the pork, take out of the oven and let rest for 35 minutes. As soon as it is not too hot to handle, remove the crackling from the pork and place crispy side up on a plate and then wrap the pork up in the foil to keep moist. You can use the juices in the gravy if you wish.
14. At this point, start cooking your vegetables. Make up the gravy. If you are boiling the vegetables, use the cooked vegetable water and add to a saucepan, together with the other gravy ingredients and heat up, stir to make sure there are no lumps.
15. Turn your oven temperature back up and roast the potatoes. This should be done whilst your roast pork is out of the oven and resting.
16. Make some apple sauce. Peel and core apples, and cut into eighths. Put in plastic bowl and sprinkle some sugar (for your taste). Microwave for 3 minutes and mash with fork or masher until smooth or as lumpy as you want.
17. 5 minutes before the potatoes are done and when your pork has rested, use a sharp knife and slice the pork ready for serving.
Source: Lovefoodies.com