Googie’s Kitchen presents My Dad’s Roast Pork with Proper Crackling

My dear old Dad loved to make and eat roast dinners and I have to say that I think roast pork was his speciality. So when I wrote my NEW cook book Gifts from Grandpa, which is dedicated to my Dad’s recipes, I had to include Roast Pork with Proper Crackling. It’s simply delicious and in my video I share with you all my Dad’s top tips for making this scrummy meal.

My Dad was the King at making a roast dinner and his favourite was pork. He taught my husband and me everything we know about cooking a roast. Dad loved making most roast dinners apart from chicken or turkey. (He had a fear of dead birds!) His favourite roast was always pork.  I remember making roast pork for a party that I had invited my Dad too.

Before cooking the pork I didn’t ask his advice and I burnt the crackling. Dad was not impressed and he had grumpily told me that I had burnt it. The crackling from a pork dinner was his favourite part. Oops, sorry Dad. The next time I decided to cook a joint of pork I phoned my dad to ask his advice. He had great tips and I now use this information each time we have pork for dinner. The pork and the crackling always cook well when I use my Dad’s top tips. Tips are in the method below.

Serves 4 – 6

Equipment

• Sharp Knife
• Chopping board
• Baking tray
• Teaspoon

Ingredients

• Pork shoulder x 1kg bone in and rind on
• Olive oil
• Salt x 2 tsp
• Rosemary x 4 – 6 springs
• Garlic x 6 – 8 cloves

Method

• Preheat the oven to 220°C and put the baking tray in.
• When you bring the joint home from the supermarket or remove it from the freezer to defrost, put it onto a plate and then into the fridge uncovered.
  • By putting it in the fridge uncovered it will help the skin on the joint to dry.
• Before starting the cooking process remove the joint 30 minutes before.
  • This will help the joint to warm up.
• Our butcher scores the skin of the joint but if it has not been scored use the sharp knife to score the skin.
• Using the knife make incisions in the skin about 1 cm apart in a cross section being careful not to tear the flesh.
  • By scoring this part of the joint, the fat can then bubble up and crisp the skin.
• Drizzle olive oil over the top of the skin and then rub it in.
• Sprinkle over the salt and rub this in too.
  • Adding salt also helps the skin to dry.
• Once the salt has been rubbed in, place the joint onto the baking tray and cook for 20 minutes.
  • Cooking the joint on a high temperature helps the heat to get through to the centre.
• After 20 minutes reduce the temperature down to 180°C and continue to roast the pork for 25 minutes per 450g.
  • As this joint was only 1 kg this roast took an 1 hour 10 minutes to cook.
  • The larger the joint the more time it will need.
• To check the joint is cooked, pierce the underside of the joint with a skewer.
• If cooked, there will be no traces of pink left and the juice will run clear.
• Always leave the meat to rest for 20 – 30 minutes before carving.

Whenever my husband and I cook a roast dinner the meat is always beautifully moist and tender. My dad’s method is a good guide to cooking roast dinners. Each time I cook a dinner like this one I thank god for being blessed with a knowledgeable father who loved to learn about and cook brilliant roasts. However you decide to eat this roast pork, as always, enjoy.

Has anyone ever given you advice about cooking a roast dinner and what was the outcome? Let me know in the comment below and don’t forget to like and follow me. xxx