To cook the crispiest crackling, there are three things you need:
One of the most important things to remember, is to get the rind as dry as possible before the cooking process.
- Remove your crackling from the packaging and pat dry with paper towel. With a small sharp knife, deeply score the rind at 1cm intervals. If time allows, leave the scored crackling uncovered in the fridge for 1 hour, or ideally overnight. This process further dries the rind and aids the crackling process.
- When you’re ready to cook, put your pork crackling on a wire rack in the sink and pour a jug of boiling water over the rind. Pat dry thoroughly with paper towel.
- Preheat oven to 220C or 200C fan-forced. Rub rind with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and half a tablespoon of salt (more if you like salty crackling), making sure the oil and salt penetrate the scores. Place crackling rind-side up onto a rack over a shallow baking dish.
- Preheat oven to 220C or 200C fan-forced. Place crackling rind-side up onto a rack over a shallow baking dish.
- Roast for 40 to 50 minutes, or until small bubbles form on surface and rind is golden and crisp. Cool for 5 minutes, then slice & enjoy!
Note: to achieve great crackling, getting the oven temperature correct is critical. We recommend the use of an “oven thermometer” to verify that the stated oven temperature is accurate.
