Pork Belly Crackling: Get It Right Every Time

The first time I cooked pork belly, the meat was great and the crackling was rubber. Second time, the crackling shattered but the meat was dry. Took years to get both right at the same time. Here's the method that actually works - every time.

Serves 4-6. Prep 10 min (+ overnight). Cook 2.5 hours.

The two non-negotiables

Dry skin. Pork belly skin needs to be bone-dry before it goes near the oven. Moisture in the rind = leather, not crackle.

Hot start. The fat under the skin needs an initial blast at very high heat to puff the rind, then drop to low to cook the meat.

What you need

• 1.5-2kg Morpeth pork belly roast with skin scored
• 2 tbsp sea salt flakes
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 2 tsp fennel seeds (optional)
• Black pepper

Day before

Pat the skin completely dry. Lay belly skin-side up on a wire rack on a tray. Refrigerate uncovered overnight. This is the most important step.

Day of

Take out 1 hour before cooking. Rub vinegar over the skin (helps moisture come out). Pat dry again. Salt heavily, working into the score lines. Crack pepper underneath and rub fennel seeds in.

Stage 1: 240?C oven, skin-side up on a wire rack, 30 minutes. Skin should puff and start crackling.

Stage 2: Drop to 160?C. Cook another 90 minutes - this cooks the meat through gently.

Stage 3 (if needed): If crackle isn't fully crisp, blast under the grill for 5-10 minutes - watch it like a hawk, it goes from perfect to burnt fast.

Rest 15 min before slicing. Use a serrated knife to crack through the rind, then a chef's knife for the meat.

Serving

Apple sauce. Or fennel slaw. Or just a sharp salad and crusty bread to mop up the rendered fat - that's tomorrow night's flavoured rice fat, by the way. Don't throw it out.

The salt question

Don't skimp. The salt draws moisture from the skin and helps it crackle. If you under-salt, the rind goes leathery. You can brush some off after stage 1 if it's too salty.