Justin North's Pork Roast With Perfect Crackling Recipe

Justin North's Perfect Pork Roast Rump With Crackling Recipe

Try this sensational pork roast with crispy crackling for Christmas in July!

Justin North, of Sydney's celebrated Bécasse and Etch restaurants, and Good Food Guide 2009 Chef of the Year, is one of Australia's top chefs. His French-inspired fare is a celebration of classic technique and regional, seasonal produce.

Pork Roast Rump With Crackling
Serves 4 (as a main course)

Ingredients:
For the pork:
100g Saxa Sea Salt Flakes
900g pork rump or loin – fat and skin intact
60ml non-scented cooking oil

For the spring onion creamed potato
3 potatoes (Desiree or Royal Blue)
100ml milk
100ml cream
80g cold butter - diced

For the sauce
150g pork trim – from the rump or shoulder, cut into small pieces
30ml non-scented cooking oil
50g unsalted butter
2 eschallots, peeled
6 button mushrooms
3 sprigs thyme
600ml white wine
500ml brown veal or pork stock
1 Tbsp grain mustard

Method:
For the roast pork:
1. Trim the pork and score the skin with a sharp knife about 2/3 of the way through the skin. Then rub thoroughly with the salt and leave uncovered in the refrigerator overnight. Pre-heat your oven to 190°C.

2. Heat a pan over a medium heat, add the oil followed by the pork, skin side down, and gently caramelise the skin until it is golden and beginning to caramelise.

3. Place into your pre-heated oven and roast for approx 25-30 minutes.

4. Leave to rest in a warm place for about 10 minutes.

For the potato puree:
5. Meanwhile peel the potatoes and cut into even sized pieces. Place the potatoes in a pan, cover with cold water and season well. Bring to the boil, turn down to a light simmer.

6. Cook gently for 15-20 minutes until tender. Then drain in a colander.

7. Leave the potatoes to steam dry for about 3-4 minutes.

8. Push the potatoes through the drum sieve while still hot, using a pastry card. Place the dry puree into a bowl.

9. Heat together the milk, cream and butter, gently fold this through the potato to soften, add a pinch of salt to season.

For the sauce:
10. Heat a saucepan over a high heat and add the oil, butter and pork trim.

11. Cook until the pork begins to brown.

12. Add the finely sliced shallots, mushrooms and thyme. Continue to cook for a couple of minutes then add the white wine and reduce until syrupy. Add the stock and gently bring to the simmer and cook for 20 minutes until the sauce begins to reduce and thicken. Pass through a fine sieve.

To serve:
13. Carve the pork and crackling into neat slices and lay on a generous mound of potato puree, spoon around the sauce and serve while hot. Serve with buttered cabbage.

Justin's perfect pork roast tips:
* Serve roast pork with buttery smooth mash, caramelised carrots and parsnip and a creamy mustard sauce; the sharpness and acidity from the sauce compliments the sweet succulent pork.
* Purchase organic pork from a butcher the day prior to serving. Choose rump, but rack or loins are also good for roasting.
* To prepare, remove any moisture from the pork by patting with paper towel. Use a sharp knife to score skin from top to bottom at 5mm intervals, cutting through the skin and fat underneath.
* Justin explains: “The scoring is important as it allows the salt to penetrate the skin and help draw out moisture, allowing much of the fat to melt way in the cooking and resulting in airy, crisp crackling. The key to success is drawing-out the moisture by salting the skin and placing it upside down on a wire rack and refrigerating for at least four hours."