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1
Preheat your oven to the highest temperature it will go to
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2
Score the pork skin very well right through the fat with the sharpest knife you have, or ask your butcher to do it for you.
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3
A Stanley blade or craft knife works best as pig skin is like cutting through leather on top of jelly.... Don't cut into the meat though
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4
Rub the olive oil all over the pork, then pat dry and rub in the salt, especially getting into all the cuts you made on the skin.
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5
This will make your crackling crunchy.
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6
It's good to do this the day before cooking.
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7
If you set this aside in the fridge overnight it will get even better as the skin will dry more but you can roast straightaway if pressed for time
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8
Place the pork in a roasting tin, skin side up.
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9
Roast for 20 minutes or until the fat puffs up and starts bubbling
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10
Remove the pork and set aside.
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11
Drain off the liquid fat collected in the tin then toss the onion, carrot, garlic and herbs together in the tin
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12
Reduce the oven temperature to gas 4 / 180C / 350F
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13
Peel the apples (keep the skins) and cut into wedges.
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14
Set them aside in a bowl of cold water with a squeeze of lemon juice to stop them going brown
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15
Mix the apple skins, cider, vinegar and water into the roasting tin with the veg.
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16
Lay the pork on top, skin side up.
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17
Tent loosely with foil and cook for 2 hours or until the meat is very tender
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18
Remove the foil from the pork and add the drained, sliced apples to the tin
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19
Now increase the oven temp to gas 8 / 220C / 425F
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20
Return the tin to the oven and roast, uncovered for another 20 minutes, or until the crackling is crispy and golden.
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21
Remove the tin from the oven and set the pork aside to rest on a warm plate while you finish the gravy
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22
Put the roasting tin with the vegetables etc in it on the stove and cook over a medium heat for a few minutes
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23
Remove the apples with a slotted spoon when they're soft.
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24
Set aside but keep warm.
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25
If the liquid in the tin evaporates too quickly before the apples are done, add a little more cider.
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26
Bring to the boil and reduce the liquid by half
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27
Stir in the stock and brown sugar and reduce down again.
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28
Mash the veggies in the tin well to thicken the gravy.
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29
Mix in then strain to get rid of the herb sprigs, bay leaves and any lumps.
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30
Discard those
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31
To serve, cut the pork into 6 even pieces and serve with the apples and gravy and some mashed potatoes and seasonal veg
