Danish Roast Pork with Crackling

Danish Roast Pork with Crackling © kvalifood.com

Danish roast pork with crackling is one of the most classic Danish dinner dishes. The secret to good crackling is plenty of salt pressed down into the score lines, followed by a short blast at high heat at the end. The meat is juicy, the crackling is crisp and bubbly.

Ingredients

Yields 4 servings

  • 1 kg pork loin with rind
  • salt, pepper
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 2–3 dl stock
  • 6 shallots

Gravy

  • 4 dl pan juices
  • 1–1½ tbsp flour
  • optional: 1 drop browning sauce

Accompaniments

  • boiled potatoes (or whole roasted)
  • salad

Directions

Preparation

Ask your butcher to score the rind. Preheat the oven to 320°F (160°C). Place the roast rind-side down in a roasting tin with about 2 cm (¾ in) of water and warm it in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove and pat dry thoroughly.

Salting and roasting

Rub the meat and rind generously with salt and pepper — press the salt down into every score line. Tuck the bay leaves into the rind. Place the roast on the rack over the roasting tin and put it on the bottom shelf at 320°F (160°C). After 30 minutes, pour the stock into the tin and add the halved shallots. Roast for a further hour.

Finishing the crackling

Pour off the pan juices. Turn the oven up to 480°F (250°C) with the vent open or the oven door slightly ajar. Finish the crackling for 5–15 minutes, until it is crisp and bubbly. It can also be finished under the grill. Rest the roast uncovered for 10 minutes.

Gravy

Strain the pan juices and skim off the fat. Shake the flour with a little water to make a slurry and whisk it into the boiling juices. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Add a drop of browning sauce if desired.

Serving and carving

Remove the crackling and cut it into pieces along the score lines. Slice the meat into slices about ½ cm (¼ in) thick.

Notes

  • Plenty of salt in the score lines is the most important factor for crisp crackling — skimp on it and the rind will stay soft
  • Rest the roast uncovered; steam from foil will soften the crackling again
  • Roast pork is a fixture on the Danish Christmas Eve table — traditionally served with red cabbage and caramelised potatoes
  • Other cuts work too: ham, shoulder, or collar — allow roughly 1 hour per kg plus the finishing time
  • The crackling can be cut into portions with scissors along the score lines after resting