Roast Pork

Roast pork is a wonderful dish. The fatty skin on the joint, if cooked correctly, forms what is known as crackling, where the skin crisps up into a brittle state and breaks your teeth as you eat it! This recipe was originally contributed by user Peterkirchem.

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Ingredients 7 ingredients

1 ea. (about 5 lb or 2.5 kg) joint of loin or leg of pork
1 tsp (5 ml) salt (rock salt preferred)
1 large pinch ground black pepper
¼ cup olive oil or other good cooking oil
2 cups water
1 onion, chopped
Herbs and spices as desired

Cook safely

Keep children and pets away from the hob and the oven, and keep oven gloves and a lid within reach.

Oven and hot trays. Use dry oven gloves for trays and dishes: a hot tray looks just like a cold one. Open the oven door away from your face and let the first rush of heat out.
Sharp knives. Cut on a board that doesn't slip (a damp cloth under it helps), and curl the fingers of the hand that holds the food.

Method

On the morning of cooking, take the pork joint out of the fridge, and let it stand to warm up to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 220°C (400°F), and place the roasting tin you propose to use in the oven to heat up. If you have a spare one, place another onion in the tin as it heats up.
If desired, remove the skin from the pork and butterfly the joint.
Season the pork all over with whatever herbs or spices you like, and rub into the meat. If desired, poke whole cloves into the meat and sprinkle with dried sage. Similarly, you may cut a wide slit into the middle of the joint, and place some fresh sage or basil, chopped apples, and garlic into it.
If you have removed the skin, place the skin on a open rack at the top of the oven, with nothing underneath it, and leave it hanging there until cooked and crispy.
Spread the chopped onion in the bottom of a roasting pan. Add a little water, and place the pork joint on top of the onions.
Place the pan in the middle shelf of the preheated oven. Roast for about 20 minutes per pound (50 minutes per kg) until the meat's juices run out clear (not pink) when a skewer or knife is inserted.
Loosely cover the joint with aluminum foil, and leave it to rest for 15 or so minutes in a warm part of the kitchen. By this time the crackling should also be cooked. If it is not, turn your oven up to its highest setting and watch it carefully, as it will crackle up quickly.
Carve the pork as desired, and serve with vegetables.

Plating

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Cookware for this recipe

Grill or grill pan
Roasting tin
Chef's knife
Cutting board