Christmas Pork Cooking Guide
A guide to cooking your festive pork feast to perfection!
Ingredients
- Your choice of Pork Shoulder (bone in), Pork Rack, Plain or Stuffed Pork Loin Roll
- Optional condiments: mango chutney, chat potatoes, crispy duck fat potatoes, mustard aioli, Waldorf style slaw, grated apple and walnuts
Method
Preparing Pork Crackle
- For amazing crackle, it's important to give the pork skin plenty of time to dry out before cooking. For the best results, the day before your cook, pour boiling water over the skin of your pork to make it expand (make sure you only scald the skin, not the meat!).
- Pat the skin dry, rub with salt and leave uncovered (or with a tea towel over it) on a plate in your fridge overnight.
- On the day you are cooking, preheat your oven to 220°C.
- Pat the skin dry again with paper towel and then drizzle olive oil on the skin and apply lots of salt.
- At the end of cooking time, appraise the crackle - if it hasn't popped yet, put it under the griller for a couple of minutes and don't take your eyes off it. All Cannings pork roasts come pre-scored unless otherwise requested.
Plain or Stuffed Pork Loin Roll
- For a 2kg pork loin, place in oven, uncovered on 220°C for 30 mins. For a plain pork loin reduce the heat to 170°C for another 1 hour and 20 mins.
- If your pork loin is stuffed, add another 15 mins to cooking time. For roasts larger than 2kg, add 40 mins per kilo to cooking time. If you have a meat thermometer, aim for an internal temperature of 64°C in the thickest part of the meat.
- Ensure you rest the meat at least 15 - 20 mins before serving.
- Serve with cinnamon dusted roast apples and fennel slaw.
Pulling Pork Shoulder (bone in)
- Cook: You can cook a pork shoulder in 4 hours, but for best results place it in casserole dish with about 500ml chicken stock, pop the lid on and slow roast at 140C for 8 hours.
- You might also like to coat the pork in brown sugar and spices for some next-level flavour infusion.
- Once it’s done, remove from oven and let cool for about half an hour.
- Shred your pork apart with 2 forks.
- Serve with a Waldorf style slaw with grated apple and walnuts.
Plain or Stuffed Pork Belly Roll
- For a 2kg belly, place on a tray in the oven for 30 mins on 220°C, and then turn down to 170°C for a further 1 hour and 40 min. If your pork belly is stuffed, add another 30 mins to cooking time. For roasts larger than 2kg, add 40 mins per kilo to cooking time.
- If you have a meat thermometer, aim for an internal temperature of 70°C in the thickest part of the meat.
- Remove from oven and rest 15 - 20 mins before slicing.
- Serve with a sweet condiment like a mango chutney and roasted chat potatoes with herbs and a mustard aioli.
Pork Rack (Four or Eight Points)
- For pork racks, place in oven, uncovered on 220°C for 30 mins. Reduce the heat to 170°C. For a 4 point rack cook for an extra 20 mins. For an 8 point rack, add an extra hour.
- If you have a meat thermometer, aim for an internal temp of 64°C in the thickest part of the meat.
- Rest 15 - 20 mins before serving.
- Serve with crispy duck fat potatoes and a creamy mustard sauce.
