Traditional Roast Pork With Crackling And Applesauce

3 from 3 ratings

You can’t have crackling without the pig skin, but sadly it has become quite difficult to buy a piece of pork with the rind still intact to make delicious crackling. It needs to be ordered ahead from the butcher, so do your bit and insist on getting it so that this essential part of the enjoyment of roast pork does not die out! Check out these Lessons in Irish Cooking. Click here for more pork recipes.

Servings

servings

Ingredients

6 pound loin of pork with skin still on
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup chopped onion
2 cup soft white breadcrumbs
2 tablespoon chopped herbs like parsley, thyme, chives, marjoram, savory, perhaps very little sage or rosemary
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade
roux (optional)*
fresh herbs (optional)
roast potatoes, for serving
applesauce, for serving

Directions

For really good crackling, score the skin at ¼-inch intervals running with the grain — let your butcher do this if possible, because the skin can be quite tough. (This will also make it easier to carve later.)
Sweat the onions gently in the butter for 5–6 minutes. When they are soft, stir in the breadcrumbs, freshly chopped herbs, and a little salt and pepper to taste. Cool.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Put the joint, skin side down, on your work surface and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Spread the stuffing over the meat, roll up tightly, and tie with cotton string. Season the rind with salt. Roast on a rack, allowing 28–30 minutes per 1 pound. Baste every now and then.
Just before the end of cooking time remove the pork to another roasting pan, return it to the oven and turn up the temperature to very hot — 450 degrees, to get crisp crackling. When the roast is cooked the juices should run clear. (You should never eat pork pink.) Put the pork onto a hot carving dish and let rest in a very cool oven while you make the gravy in the original roasting pan.
Spoon off the fat from the original roasting pan and add the chicken stock. Whisk to dissolve the deposits on the pan. Bring to a boil. Season and thicken with a little roux, if desired. Freshly chopped herbs may be added to the gravy. Serve with crispy, roast potatoes and lots of applesauce.