Mum's roasting techniques were very simple, place the chicken or joint of meat in a roasting tray, pour in a little water or smear with lard and place into the oven and leave until cooked. Nothing wrong with that, but a little refinement, a few additions can make it oh so much better, and add different flavour dimensions to it.
So follow me here and I will give you my top tips for the roasting of various meats.
I have always loved pulled pork, ever since first experiencing it in the USA in the late 70's or early 80's. It was served to me in a bread roll, piled high and with lots of sauce; basically a Sloppy Joe. So here is my preferred version of roast pork, along with how to crackle pork. My mother liked nothing more than a good piece of pork crackling. Unfortunately it was always a bit of a hit or miss affair every Sunday, whether we got nice crisp crackling, or a chewy version of.
recipe - cheffie's pork crackling
These days pork crackling is readily available as a snack just like potato crisps etc. But if you like making your own ......
Successful pork crackling is obtained by ensuring plenty of air gets into the skin, this forms that familiar bubbling and dries it out to be crisp and gorgeous. All that is required here is a sharp pointed knife, however I always keep a Stanley knife in my knife roll for just this job.
But first if you really want GREAT crackling cook it separately from the meat. Either remove it yourself, have the butcher do it or buy some extra separately, most supermarkets sell it now and lets face it who doesn't like extra crackling?
Bring a pot of water to the boil, gently place the raw crackling into the water an cook for two minutes, remove and allow to cool.
Run the blade over the skin to score the surface (breaking the surface but not cutting deeply), scoring it in definate diagonal lines approx 1/2 cm apart, then repeat in the opposite direction. Drizzle a little oil on the surface and rub it all over the surface. Sprinkle with salt all over (or use garlic, onion or celery salt). Place under a preheated grill until browned, all bubbled up and nicely crisp. Ensuring it is kept a good distance from the heat source to prevent burning.
recipe - cheffie's pulled pork shoulder
So follow me here and I will give you my top tips for the roasting of various meats.
I have always loved pulled pork, ever since first experiencing it in the USA in the late 70's or early 80's. It was served to me in a bread roll, piled high and with lots of sauce; basically a Sloppy Joe. So here is my preferred version of roast pork, along with how to crackle pork. My mother liked nothing more than a good piece of pork crackling. Unfortunately it was always a bit of a hit or miss affair every Sunday, whether we got nice crisp crackling, or a chewy version of.
recipe - cheffie's pork crackling
These days pork crackling is readily available as a snack just like potato crisps etc. But if you like making your own ......
Successful pork crackling is obtained by ensuring plenty of air gets into the skin, this forms that familiar bubbling and dries it out to be crisp and gorgeous. All that is required here is a sharp pointed knife, however I always keep a Stanley knife in my knife roll for just this job.
But first if you really want GREAT crackling cook it separately from the meat. Either remove it yourself, have the butcher do it or buy some extra separately, most supermarkets sell it now and lets face it who doesn't like extra crackling?
Bring a pot of water to the boil, gently place the raw crackling into the water an cook for two minutes, remove and allow to cool.
Run the blade over the skin to score the surface (breaking the surface but not cutting deeply), scoring it in definate diagonal lines approx 1/2 cm apart, then repeat in the opposite direction. Drizzle a little oil on the surface and rub it all over the surface. Sprinkle with salt all over (or use garlic, onion or celery salt). Place under a preheated grill until browned, all bubbled up and nicely crisp. Ensuring it is kept a good distance from the heat source to prevent burning.
recipe - cheffie's pulled pork shoulder
001 pc pork shoulder
001 cup soy sauce
001 cup tomato ketchup
001 tsp chopped garlic
001 tsp chopped ginger
1/2 tsp chopped chilli
001 tbs brown sugar
001 tbs honey
001 cup soy sauce
001 cup tomato ketchup
001 tsp chopped garlic
001 tsp chopped ginger
1/2 tsp chopped chilli
001 tbs brown sugar
001 tbs honey
recipe - method of preparation
Pre-heat the oven to 130C (the pork must be cooked ultra slow)
Combine all the marinade ingredients and pour over the pork shoulder and rub in. Cover and marinade at least overnight (turn every few hours if possible)
Drain off the marinade and simmer until a sticky thick sauce is obtained. Set aside
Place the pork shoulder into a roasting tray, add a cup of water, cover tightly with tinfoil and place into the oven, cook slowly for 6 hours. The water will prevent it drying out and the low heat will prevent it burning. So no need to worry, you can safely go out for the day and leave it.
Remove from the oven and carefully remove and discard the tinfoil. If there is any liquid remaining, drain into the sauce and reboil it for 3 minutes. The pork shoulder meat should literally just fall off the bone. Using two forks, pull the pork off the bones and shred the meat apart; it should shred apart in long strands. Discard the bones and pour the sticky sauce all over the pork and combine it all together.
next week - mum's roast chicken .......
Combine all the marinade ingredients and pour over the pork shoulder and rub in. Cover and marinade at least overnight (turn every few hours if possible)
Drain off the marinade and simmer until a sticky thick sauce is obtained. Set aside
Place the pork shoulder into a roasting tray, add a cup of water, cover tightly with tinfoil and place into the oven, cook slowly for 6 hours. The water will prevent it drying out and the low heat will prevent it burning. So no need to worry, you can safely go out for the day and leave it.
Remove from the oven and carefully remove and discard the tinfoil. If there is any liquid remaining, drain into the sauce and reboil it for 3 minutes. The pork shoulder meat should literally just fall off the bone. Using two forks, pull the pork off the bones and shred the meat apart; it should shred apart in long strands. Discard the bones and pour the sticky sauce all over the pork and combine it all together.
next week - mum's roast chicken .......
