Pork Crackling, HELP!!

[FranksBobot]

How the fucking hell do people make crackling?
No matter what I do it doesn't work. Got a joint for tonight and I really want to get some decent crackling otherwise I'm never ever buying pork again.
I've tried patting it dry, scoring with sharp knife and rubbing in salt but it doesn't want to work for me.
So come mighty Mumsnet, give me your secrets to the perfect crackling please

Put the oven on to its highest temperature. Put the pork in for about twenty minutes, maybe longer, until it starts to crackle.

Turn it right down to about 140 and cook for the next three or four hours.

Works every time, I promise.

Thank you, will give it a shot

I take the outer fat off the pork joint at the end of cooking and crisp it up under the grill.
( Not name-changed from Slimming World thread, so don't say I said).

DH is in charge of our roasts. He cooks the pork, then takes off the skin. Bungs it back in a high oven on its own while the meat rests. Perfection :-)

Pour boiling water over the cold joint, then rub with olive oil and sprinkle salt flakes over. High oven temp for 20-30 minutes, then lower it for the rest of the cooking time. You need to roast it for quite a long time. If the joint isn't big enough to necessitate a long cooking time, take the crackling off the joint towards the end and put in a second oven at high temperature or under the grill.

blast it with a hairdryer to dry out the fat before cooking.

I do the same as chough. Cut the thick layer of fat/skin off and put it into the oven on the top shelf, keep the pork on the shelf beneath so the tray catches the run-off from the crackling, turn the oven up to about 200 and keep an eye on it. Mine takes between 20-30 mins depending on temp, how much I open the oven etc. Perfect crackling every time. It never, ever worked for me when I kept the fat/skin on the joint.

Hmm it's only a little joint so maybe best to take the fat off.
Who'd have thought crackling could cause such a fuss.

Out of interest what does pouring boiling water over cold joint achieve/cause ?!

Make sure the fat is well scored, with near together lines ( a stanley knife works well for this) Cook your meat so its ready 25 minutes before you need it. Take it out and cut away carefully the layer of fat . Turn up the oven to 200 º Wrap up meat well and keep warm. Drape the cut off fat over a plate back in the roasting tin, and into the oven for the 25 minutes .

Sometimes it won't work and it's not your fault, it's the fault of the meat for not having a decent layer of fat under the skin or for having become soggy before you get it home. Shrink wrapped supermarket pork is often the culprit.

I take the skin off and do it separately. It's very easy and works consistenly.

Another one for pouring boiling water over it. I use table salt rather than sea salt unless I can be arsed to grind the sea salt.

The boiling water makes it expand which does something magic to make the crackling better.

I use the 'porchetta' recipe that's on the good food website.