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Secret to Great Crackling…..
METHOD
Step 1
Take the wrapping off the pork and leave it in the fridge for a day or two to dry out the skin.
Step 2
Take it our of the fridge and let it come to room temperature for about an hour, which will help it cook evenly.
Step 3
Pre-heat your oven to 230 deg C for at least 20 minutes so it’s nice and hot. Rub the skin with olive oil and salt. Plenty of oil and plenty of salt!!
Step 4
Pop the pork into the oven and let it cook at that high temperature for 20-30 minutes, until the crackling starts to form, then turn the temperature down to 165 to 175 deg C and keep cooking.
Step 5
Cook it until it gets to an internal temperature of 68 to 72 deg C and then let it rest.
If the skin hasn’t crackled you can put the pork under the griller, but be careful as it’ll crackle up very quickly!
How to Carve a Xmas Ham
Glazing your ham
- Prepare your favourite glaze recipe, or try one of our recipes here.
- Remove rind and use a sharp knife to score ham in a diamond pattern.
- Place ham scored side up in a large baking pan and brush over glaze.
- Place into a preheated oven or hooded BBQ at 180°C for 20 minutes per kg, basting occasionally, until ham is brown and warmed through.
Storing your ham
- Soak a Ham Bag, pillowcase or tea towel in 4 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of vinegar.
- Wring out excess water and place ham in the Ham Bag, pillowcase or wrap in tea towel. Store in coolest part of fridge.
- Re-soak bag in solution every few days or when Ham Bag dries out.
How to Choose Your Christmas Ham:
Tips from Fleischmeister and master butcher, Horst Schurger:
- Look for a natural meaty texture: avoid the wet or rubbery.
- Choose a ham with a good smoky flavour. Ask to taste it.
- Look for smooth, even skin and even colouring. If the knuckle is sunken, it’s overcooked. If the rind if buckled or uneven, it’s a sign of dryness.
- Hams 10-12kg are most likely to have the best flavour and texture due to age of the pig.
- For the best results, opt for fresh Australian pork rather than hams made in Australia from frozen imported meat.
How to Cook a Pork Steak
For 2cm thick steaks use our 6-2-2 method:
- Simply take a 2cm pork steak (try the sirloin, scotch fillet, porterhouse or medallion).
- Preheat a pan, griddle pan or BBQ plate just like you would for any other steak
- Cook it on one side without turning for 6 minutes.
- Turn it over once and allow it to cook for 2 more minutes. This method will cook the steak to just white. If you prefer a little bit of pink just reduce the cooking time. If your steak is thicker than 2cm, adjust the cooking time on the second side.
- Take the steak straight out of the pan without flipping over and place on a plate to rest for two minutes. That allows the juices to settle and it will be lovely and tender.
- That’s how simple it is: 6 minutes on one side, 2 minutes on the other and 2 minutes to rest = the 10 minute pork steak!