THE PERFECT ROAST

You don't have to be intimidated at the thought of roasting pork. It’s easier to prepare than you think. Follow our tips:

1 When buying pork for a roast, ask your butcher to remove the bone and tie the meat with string or put it into roasting netting. This will ensure your roast has a good shape, will cook evenly and will be easier to carve into neat slices when done.

2 There’s a technique to having the perfect crispy crackling. When buying pork for a roast ask your butcher to score the skin for you. You can also do this yourself at home, but you must be careful to only cut the skin, not the meat, when scoring. Use a very sharp knife to do this. The secret to getting perfectly golden-brown and crunchy crackling is to first dry the skin well. This is critical. Pat it dry with paper towels and if time allows, put it in the fridge uncovered for a few hours or overnight. This will dry the skin out. Rub the skin with oil and salt and roast at high heat (220 to 240°C) until the skin crisps. Then lower the heat to 180°C until the roast is cooked (see tip 3).

3 As with all pork cuts, you don’t want to overcook your roast, because then it’ll be dry. The easiest way to tell if your pork roast is done is with a meat thermometer. It should read between 66 and 68°C at the thickest part of the meat. But if you don’t have a thermometer, don’t worry. You can use the following cooking guideline: After you’ve crisped the skin, turn the oven temperature down to 180°C and roast the pork for 30 minutes per 500g. So, if you have a 1,5kg piece of meat, it will take 1½ hours to cook.

4 Always let your pork rest for 10 minutes (for chops and 4 smaller roasts) or 15 minutes (for larger roasts). If you cut it immediately after taking it out of the oven, the meat juices will run out and evaporate. Letting it rest allows the juices to evenly distribute throughout the meat.