How to master the ultimate pork crackling

Pro tip: take the pork belly out of the packaging, score and leave to dry in the fridge for up to two days before cooking it. It’s the first essential step to that snap, crackle, pop!

Recipe by: Bianca Strydom, Romy Wilson, Shavan Rahim

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The Crispiest Pork Belly

Serves 4 to 6 
Preparation: 10 minutes 
Cooking: 1 hour

Ingredients:

  • 1 x 1 kg Woolworths Pork Belly Roast
  • 1 T fine salt
  •  2 cups oil

Cooking instructions:

  1. Remove the pork belly from the packaging, score the fat and leave to dry in the fridge for up to two days before cooking.
  2. Rub the skin side of the pork belly with salt, place on a baking tray and roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour at 180°C. 
  3. Turn on the grill and grill for 5 minutes. 
  4. While the pork belly is cooking, heat the oil to smoking point in a saucepan. 
  5. Remove the pork belly from the oven and place on a wire rack over a separate dry oven tray (note: make sure it's dry!). Pour the hot oil over the skin and allow it to crackle.
  6. Serve the hot pork belly with Japanese dressing and sticky rice, or baked potatoes and sour cream topped with chives.