Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Pork Roast With Crackle
Golden crackling gives a pork roast an inviting crunch before you reach the tender meat underneath. The simple garlic seasoning leaves plenty of room for the pork's savory flavor. Give the roast its rest before carving so each serving can have a piece of that crisp rind.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 120 min
- Total
- 130 min
- Original yield
- Serves 8
- Ingredients
- 4 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Dinner · Main course
- Primary protein
- Pork
- Cuisine
- American
- Cooking method
- Roasting · Baked & roasted
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: over 60 minutes
A few quick notes
1. Dry the rind uncovered
Remove packaging and refrigerate the pork uncovered, rind up, for at least an hour or overnight before bringing it out for roasting.
2. Score and pat dry
Score the rind in one-inch intervals with a sharp knife, then thoroughly pat the skin dry before oiling and seasoning.
3. Plan the oven changes
The roast starts hot for crackling, lowers for the main roast and returns to higher heat for its golden final stage.
Get to know the ingredients
Rind-on shoulder or butt
Use boneless pork shoulder or butt with the rind on, since that skin is needed for the crackling finish.
Garlic underneath
Rub garlic powder into the meat underneath when the pork is skin side down, before oiling both meat and rind.
Olive oil
Rub olive oil over both the rind and meat with your fingers. The directions allow more oil if it is needed.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 8. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
Ingredient note
Use about 1 teaspoon on the meat and about 1 tablespoon on the rind.
How to make it
0 of 8 steps completeMake room for Pork Roast With Crackle
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Rest before carving
Once the rind is golden crackling and pork is cooked through, rest the roast fifteen minutes before carving and serving.
A little more help as you go
Bring out before roasting
The directions leave pork out of the refrigerator for one to two hours before roasting, following the uncovered skin-drying stage.
Final crackling stage
After the lower-temperature main roast, increase the oven again for the final ten minutes to turn the rind golden and crisp.
A few questions you might have
Can I dry the skin overnight?
Yes. The first step allows uncovered overnight refrigeration, laid flat with the rind facing up, before the pre-roasting stage.
Where does salt go?
The directions season the meat underneath with garlic powder and salt, then separately salt the oiled rind for the crackling.
What thermometer reading is given?
The directions give 160°F as the internal reading for cooked pork during the final roasting stage, before its fifteen-minute rest.
Is the oven kept at one temperature?
The directions use a hot first stage, a 350°F main roast and a final 440°F stage for golden crackling.
Does the rind get scored after roasting?
Score it before oiling and seasoning, then roast through the listed stages before resting and carving the cooked pork.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: cafedelites.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.