Tuesday life hack: How to make the perfect crackling

The secret to crispy crackling

• The secret of crispy crackling is to have the skin dry before cooking, so don’t oil it or baste it during cooking.
• Use a sharp knife to cut all the way through the pork skin to make parallel lines, cutting some additional lines to those made by the butcher.
• Rub salt into the skin. Leave the pork out for about an hour, or leave it in the fridge overnight, uncovered, for the skin to dry out.
• Set the oven to its highest setting.
• Roast it in the centre of the oven for about 30 mins, until the skin starts to crisp up, then reduce the oven temperature to 180°C and cook for a further two hours. If the skin hasn’t formed crackling, turn the oven temperature up until it’s crisped. Do not cook it for too long at the higher temperature or the meat may dry out. Remove the meat from the oven.
• Allow the pork to rest for about 10-15 mins before carving.

Watch top chef Curtis Stone make crackling