Recipe for Roast Pork with Crackling and Rhubarb Sauce
Score the skin at ¼ inch (5mm) intervals running with the grain let your butcher do this if possible because the skin, particularly of free range pork, can be quite tough. This is to give you really good crackling and make it easier to carve later.
Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/regulo 5.
Put the pork, skin side down on a chopping board, season with salt and black pepper, sprinkle with freshly chopped herbs.
Roll up tightly and tie with cotton string.
Sprinkle some salt over the rind and roast the joint on a wire rack in a roasting tin.
Allow 25-28 minutes per 1lb (450g).
Baste with the rendered pork fat every now and then.
Meanwhile make the Rhubarb Sauce (see recipe).
Just before the end of cooking time remove the pork to another roasting tin.
Return to the oven and increase the temperature to 230C/450F/regulo 8, to further crisp the crackling.
When the joint is cooked the juices should run clear.
Put the pork onto a hot carving dish and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes in a low oven before carving.
Serve two slices of pork per person with some Rhubarb Sauce and garnish with Rocket.
Rustic roast potatoes and a good green salad would also be great.
Rhubarb Sauce (Serves 6 approx) 1lb (450g) red rhubarb cut into 1 inch (2.5cm) pieces 4oz (110g) Sugar
Put the rhubarb into a stainless steel saucepan, add the sugar and toss around, leave for 5 or 10 minutes until the juice from the rhubarb starts to melt the sugar.
Then, cover the saucepan and put on a gentle heat, cook until soft.
Taste and add a little more sugar if necessary.
It should not be too sweet but should not cut your throat either. If you have a spoonful of really good redcurrant jelly stir it in at the end, otherwise leave it out. Serve warm with roast pork.
