Let me show you how to get that Snap, Crackle and Crunch crackle! Growing up my mum worked a lot to bring up my 3 sisters and I... 3 jobs to be exact! She was/is incredible! My sister Desi - HealthyCook4Champions and I cooked most of the time. Whilst we cooked some amazing food....we rarely cook pork except for bacon. Don't know why, it's just how it was back then I guess. Fast forward to my adult married/mum life and my family love pork with my crunchy crackle!
My way of getting the CRUNCH in Pork Crackling!
This method is for pork crackle on it's own. If you want to cook a roast pork with crunchy crackle, I've included additional information further down in this post.
Step one
Buy your pork rind. Score it if it hasn’t been done for you by your butcher. I buy mine from Ashburton Meats in Melbourne. They score it perfectly for me.
Step two
Wash and pat your pork rind dry with paper towel.
Step three
Rub with a tablespoon of olive oil.
Step four
Sprinkle with sea salt flakes.
Step five
Refrigerate for 2 hours.
Prepare your BBQ for indirect cooking whether you're using charcoal or a gas BBQ or if you're using an indoor oven, preheat it to 220c.
Step six
Sprinkle again with sea salt flakes and place in your BBQ or indoor oven.
Step seven
Cook for around 30-40 mins or until the rind is bubbling, golden and crisp when you tap the surface with a knife.
Step eight
Enjoy the crunchiest Pork crackling ever! See, it's not that hard!
Roast Pork With Crunchy Crackle!
Ingredients
Buy a Pork Belly, Boneless Pork Shoulder or Butt. Score the fat if it hasn't been scored for you.
(I like to use a pork weight of at least 1.5kg)
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
My Come Grill With Me Pork Rub Recipe
Method
Step one
Pat pork dry with paper towel and lay fat side up on a tray.
Step two
Rub the pork rind with a 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Really get into it and ensure the rind is completely covered in oil.
Step three
Sprinkle with about 1- 2 teaspoons of sea salt and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Step four
Prepare your BBQ for indirect cooking with a temp of 250c whether you're using charcoal or a gas BBQ or if you're using an indoor oven, preheat it to 220c.
Step five
Cover the meat with my Come Grill With Me Pork Rub.
(It's so important that you don't get any of the rub on the pork rind or it will not become crunchy!)
Step six
Sprinkle again with a 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt and place in your BBQ or indoor oven.
Step seven
Cook for around 30-40 mins or until the rind is bubbling, golden and crisp when you tap the surface with a knife.
Step eight
Reduce the BBQ or indoor oven heat to 200c and continue cooking until the pork is done.
Depending on the weight of your pork, it will take between 1 to 1.5 hours to cook. The internal temperature should be 75c (167F) before you remove it. The juices will run clear when the meat is pierced.
My pork belly with crunchy crackle
Notes
It's important to buy your pork rind (skin) scored or score it yourself because it helps draw out moisture and the heat gets right into the skin to make it super crunchy. Paul from Ashburton Meats scores my pork rind with a Stanley Knife. Watch him prepare my pork rind here.
Pork rind from Ashburton Meats in Melbourne
I have tested my pork crackling method many times. I would definitely say the easiest way I have found to get that crackle crunchy is using my Ziegler and Brown Triple Grill and when cooking indoors, my oven does the job. Charcoal takes practice, so be patient and master your indirect cooking techniques with a kettle BBQ or rotisserie first.
My Pork belly in the Ziegler and Brown Triple Grill BBQ
I would love to see your crunchy crackle on Instagram. Be sure to tag me - Come Grill With Me so I can check it out. Love, Irene XO