How to Make Pork Skin Hard When Roasted
It can be difficult to create the perfect pork roast, especially if you are trying to harden the skin to a crackling delicious texture without drying out the meat on the inside. It all comes down to the preparation of the pork before cooking and the basting process during cooking. You must very careful not to burn yourself during this preparation, as you will be working with extremely high temperatures. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Metal roasting pan
- Paper towels
- Dish towel
- Sharp paring knife
- Pork fat
- Sea salt
- Hair dryer
Instructions
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1
Keep the pork in the refrigerator until you want to use it. Dry the skin of the pork thoroughly the day before you decide to cook it. Pat the skin down completely with paper towels, soaking up any fluids.
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2
Use a small paring knife to score the skin of the pork, when it is still hard and cold from the refrigerator. Create regular thin cuts along the flesh of the pork about 1/4 inch apart. This will help make the pork skin hard when it cooks, as the fat will bubble up through the incisions and bubble.
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3
Rub sea salt thoroughly all over the skin of the pork, on all sides and angles. Rub it in deeply and thoroughly, as if you are massaging the pork.
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4
Plug in a hairdryer close to the pork. Set it on a high setting of cool, and blow dry the skin of the pork on all sides until it is completely dry and the salt is soaked in. After it is dry, wrap the pork snugly in a clean towel. Refrigerate over night.
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5
Unwrap the pork before you cook it, and rub it down with sea salt again thoroughly. Insert salt into the scores and cracks of the pork. Place it in a metal roasting dish. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
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6
Heat up a handful of pork fat, cut from bacon or another pork product, in a saucepan until it is sizzling loudly. Immediately douse the pork roast in this liquid fat on all sides, hearing it sizzle. Put the pork into the oven. After 20 minutes, lower the temperature to 375 degrees F. Cook for around 2 to 2 1/2 hours, basting the pork every half hour.
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7
Turn the heat back up to 425 degrees F when there is 20 minutes of cooking time left. This will help the pork skin harden and crackle. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Enjoy!
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Tips & Warnings
Add your own personal gravy recipe to spice up the pork.
