How do you get good pork crackling??

Help! I have a joint of pork in the freezer that I will be cooking on Sunday but I never seem to get good crackling. Its either chewy or rock hard. What's the secret to getting nice crisp, crunchy crackling?? (bet SB will know. She's a cooking legend!)

I was given this tip by Michael's ex girlfriend. Half Italian and dad owns a restaurant in London.

Pour boiling water over the scored skin. Rub in salt then cook very slowly with joint on a cake cooling rack if you have one or similar so the fat drips into the pan below. When the pork is cooked take off the the then crackling put back in the oven and cook slowly for a while longer till really crispy.

The way ive always managed it is to score the pork skin with a sharp knife into the fat , then rub some olive oil and rock salt. Turn the oven up the hottest it will go and cook it at that temp for about 20-30mins then turn it down to whatever the normal cooking time is (i cant remember lol)

I rub with oil then sprinkle on salt.

What Lynn said there, it works everytime! I buy those small loin joints with crackling (those easy cook ones), and I do them this way, and if I haven't had the oven on high enough at the finish, I take off the crackling and stuff it back in on max, and it all puffs up a treat! Good luck, mmmmmmmm my favourite!

Thanks all. I have tried scoring it, rubbing it in oil, salt etc but never got it quite right. I shall try the boiling water trick. Didnt think to remove the crackling and put it back in. Worried that would make it too hard but I shall try that now. H, thats what I got. All meat with just crackling on top. Perfick!!

Will have to try the boiling water trick as my crackling can be a bit dodgy! My 3 year old adores "biscuit meat"!

Helen

Aww bless. What a nice way of putting it.

I don't do any of that, apart from scoring skin. I pat dry with kitchen towel, and rub in salt, and that gives great crackling.

Ah, I will have to try this next time too... my crackling is a bit hit and miss!!

Will have to try the boiling water trick as my crackling can be a bit dodgy! My 3 year old adores "biscuit meat"!

Helen

That is so sweet