CRACKLING PIG RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7.
• Rub 2 tablespoons of salt over the skin of the pork. Put the onions, garlic, bay leaves, sage and stock into a deep roasting tin. Sit the joint on top, skin-side up. Cover the roasting tin with foil and seal the edges tightly. Roast for about 40 minutes.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 150C/130C Fan/Gas 2 and cook for 2½–3 hours, or until the meat is completely tender and falling off the bone.
• Transfer the pork to a board. Using a slotted spoon, scoop the onions into a bowl, remove the bay and sage and discard. Spoon the onions onto a serving platter, cover and keep warm. Strain the stock into a jug.
• Turn the oven up to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Lay a piece of foil on a baking sheet. Carefully remove the pork skin and place on the foil. Using scissors, snip into narrow strips. Sprinkle with salt. Cover the pork with foil and keep warm. Slide the baking sheet into the oven and cook the skin for 5–10 minutes, or until it is crisp and deep golden brown.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour and stir over the heat for a few seconds to make a roux. Whisk in the reserved hot stock over a medium–high heat, whisking until the sauce is thick and smooth.
• Pull the pork off the bone and arrange next to the onions on the serving platter. Snip the crackling into pieces and add to the platter. Serve with the hot gravy in a jug.