Herb Rolled Pork Loin With Crackling Recipes

ROAST PORK WITH CRACKLING

Steps:

• If you have time, rub salt in the pork skin 2 hours before cooking and leave it uncovered in the fridge. Heat the oven to 230C/210C fan/gas 8. Turn the pork rind-side down and with a small knife make about 6 deep incisions along the meat. Poke a sliver of garlic, a piece of rosemary and bay in each incision and turn the pork the right way up. If you didn't salt the pork earlier salt the skin now.
• Mix the carrot, onion and apple and scatter along the middle of a shallow roasting tray to make a bed for the pork to sit on. Sit the pork on the vegetables and rub the skin with the oil. Place the pork in the oven and leave for 15 mins then turn the heat down to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and continue to roast for 1hr 30 mins. If after this time you don't have brilliant crackling turn the heat up again and check every 5 mins until the skin has crackled.
• Remove the pork from the roasting tray to a board to rest and pour off all but about 2 tbsp of fat from the tray. If your tray is robust enough to go on the heat then do so, if not scrape the contents into a shallow saucepan and place on the heat. Stir the flour in with the veg and cook until you have a mushy, dark amber paste then splash in the cider and bubble down to a thick paste again. Pour in the stock and simmer everything for 8-10 mins until you have thickened gravy. Strain the sauce into another saucepan pushing as much puréed apple as you can through the sieve. Simmer again and season to taste.
• Carve the pork loin with crackling attached into slices using a serrated knife and serve with your favourite vegetables and the apple and cider gravy.

HERB-STUFFED PORK LOIN

Steps:

• Starting about a third in from 1 side, make a lengthwise slit down the roast to within 1/2 in. of the bottom. Turn roast over and make another lengthwise slit, starting about a third in from the opposite side. Open roast so it lies flat; cover with plastic wrap. Flatten to 3/4-in. thickness; remove plastic wrap., Combine mustard and garlic; rub two-thirds of the mixture over roast. Combine the chives, sage, thyme, rosemary, 3/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle two-thirds of the herb mixture over roast. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; tie several times with kitchen string. Rub oil over roast; sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper., Using long-handled tongs, moisten a paper towel with cooking oil and lightly coat the grill rack. , Prepare grill for indirect heat using a drip pan. Place roast over drip pan and grill, covered, over indirect medium heat or bake, uncovered, at 350° for 1 hour. , Brush remaining mustard mixture over roast; sprinkle with remaining herb mixture. Grill or bake until a thermometer reads 160°, 20-25 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

PORK AND CRACKLING

Steps:

• Lay out your pork on a board and rub some salt and 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary into the scored lines, trying to get this into every bit by pushing and rubbing in. In a pestle and mortar smash up the fennel seeds, then the garlic and remaining chopped rosemary, and rub this into the meat ? not the skin, or it will burn. Place in a large roasting tray with the balsamic vinegar, bay and olive oil. Leave for about 1/2 hour to marinate.
• Meanwhile, preheat your oven to its highest temperature and brown the bones. Rub the skin of the pork with lots of sea salt ? this will help puff it up and dry it out. Place the pork directly on the bars at the top of the oven. Finally add the browned bones and vegetables to the leftover balsamic marinade, add 570ml, 1 pint water and put into the oven directly under the pork. As the pork cooks all the goodness drips from it into the tray. This liquid will then become your gravy. You also get quite charred bar marks on the base of the pork.
• The pork will take about 1 hour to cook. After 20 minutes turn the temperature down to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Once the pork is cooked, remove it from the oven on the rack and place on a piece of foil to save any juices. Allow to rest for at least 10 minutes. Finish off any vegetables that you are going to serve with it and make a gravy out of the juices in the tray which was underneath the pork.
• Put the bones, the liquid and the vegetables into a large pan. Add some water to the tray that contained the bones and vegetables, as there will be some Marmite-like, sticky stuff on the bottom to the tray which is very tasty. Reboil the water, scrape off all the goodness from the bottom of the tray and then pour everything into the pan. Bring to the boil, shaking occasionally, remove any oil, grease or scum from the top, then pass the contents through a sieve, discarding all the vegetables and bones. You can reduce and then correct the seasoning, to taste.

HERB-ROASTED PORK IN MILK WITH CRACKLING

Steps:

• If you have time, prepare the pork the night before or at least 1-2 hrs ahead. Season the pork loin with salt, then put in a large bowl with the garlic, herbs, vinegar and wine, turning to coat. Leave to marinate in the fridge overnight or for 1-2 hrs at room temperature. If making the crackling, season the pork skin with salt on both sides, then sprinkle with the fennel seeds and chilli flakes, if using. Chill on a baking tray overnight or up to 24 hrs.
• Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Remove the pork from the marinade, allowing the excess to drip back into the bowl and brush off any herbs. Pat dry with kitchen paper. Heat the oil in a flameproof roasting tin or casserole and brown the pork well on all sides for 15-20 mins, using tongs to hold it up and brown the ends. Pour over the leftover marinade, transfer to the oven and roast for 15 mins. If you're making the crackling, cook the skin on its baking tray, fatty-side down, on another shelf.
• After 15 mins, pour the milk over the pork and roast for another hour, basting it with the milk every 20 mins. The milk will look curdled, but don't worry - this is how it should look. After an hour, check that the pork is firm by pressing a finger into the thickest part. If it's not, baste and roast for 10 mins more. Remove to a board and leave to rest. Check the crackling to see if it's crisping up, and increase the oven if needed.
• Put the roasting tin over a low heat and simmer the milk, whisking to break up any curds, then strain through a sieve into a small pan. Tip in any resting juices from the pork and warm through to make a thin, milky gravy. By now, the crackling should be golden and crisp. Carve the pork and serve in slices with the gravy and crackling.

HERB ROLLED PORK LOIN WITH CRACKLING

Steps:

• Tip the rosemary and garlic into a mortar along with the fennel seeds, olive oil and a good pinch of salt. Pound everything together with a pestle until you get a rough paste. Unfold the pork loin, spread the herb mixture all over the cut side, then fold the loin back over. You need to keep the loin together during cooking, so tie pieces of string around it at 2cm intervals. Tuck any leftover rosemary sprigs under the string.
• Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Lightly oil a baking tray and place the pork on top, sprinkling a little salt over the skin. Cook in the oven for 20 mins until crisp and browned all over. Reduce oven to 190C/fan 170C/ gas 5 and cook for 45 mins per kg more, which will be just under 2 hrs for this amount of meat. When ready, take the pork out of the oven and cover tightly with tin foil. Leave for at least 15 mins before eating, or leave to cool and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. To serve, loosen the crackling, then carve the pork into thick slices, handing out pieces of crackling if people wish.