“The perfect pork belly and crispy crackling is one of my favourite meals to make for a crowd. It’s surprisingly easy, and always impressive at any time of year. The secret is to get your pork rind as dry as possible; to speed up the drying process, use a hairdryer on the cold setting. Sounds weird, but I promise it works!”
- Tamara
Learn to make juicy pork and perfect crackling in a few simple steps
Step 1 of 4
Pat & score
Place pork on a clean surface, with the rind facing upwards. Firmly pat your pork rind dry with paper towels; this ensures the rind won’t get tough. Place the pork belly on a plate and refrigerate, uncovered, for 4 hours or overnight, if time permits. Remove pork from the fridge and bring to room temperature, to help the meat cook evenly. Using a sharp knife, score skin at 1cm intervals, scoring rind about 1cm deep.
Step 2 of 4
Get salty
With clean hands, carefully rub sea-salt flakes into the scored pork rind, making sure to cover the entire surface and between the scored lines – don’t be afraid to get right in there! The salt helps draw out any moisture and adds crunch to your crackling. Preheat your oven to 240°C/220°C fan-forced.
Step 3 of 4
Pat again
Using paper towels, pat dry any excess moisture from the pork rind. Making sure the pork is extra dry means there’s less moisture, which results in crispier crackling. Rub a little bit of oil into the rind, making sure it's completely covered. Using a neutral-flavoured oil with a high-smoking point is great; I recommend rice bran oil.
Step 4 of 4
Get cooking
You’re almost there! Line a medium roasting pan with baking paper and place pork, rind-side up, on top. Place on the middle shelf and bake for 45 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 220°C/200°C fan-forced and bake for another 45 minutes, or until the skin is golden and crisp. Remove your pork belly from the oven and rest for 15 minutes. (I know – testing your patience here!) Use a sharp knife to cut the meat into slices, along the score lines, and serve with your favourite sides. I love a beetroot-and-balsamic relish, but feel free to get creative!