Crackling Pork Shank With Fire Cracker Apple Sauce Recipes

Steps:

• Cut the pork skin into 4 pieces. It will cook more evenly and be easier to clean later on.
• In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring 4 quarts water to a simmer. Add the skins and cook for 1 hour, or until they are soft and somewhat gelatinous.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Remove the skins from the water with a slotted spoon and put onto a large plate. Discard the liquid. Let the skins cool in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes so they will be easier to handle.
• Put one of the pieces on a cutting board skin-side-down. The other side will have bits of meat and fat on it that will have turned white during cooking. With a very sharp chef's knife, slice as much of the meat and fat off as possible, leaving only a thin piece of skin. Be careful not to slice into the skin underneath. The cleaner you get the skin, the crispier the crackling will be when fried. Repeat with remaining pieces.
• Arrange the skins on a parchment-paper or Silpat-lined sheet tray and put in the oven for 1 1/2 hours. Flip the skins and continue cooking for 1 1/2 hours, or until the skins are completely dry. Remove from the oven and let cool.
• When cool enough to handle, scrape off any remaining bits of fat and meat. The back of a knife works well for this. At this point, the cracklings can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
• Heat about 4 inches of oil in a deep-fryer or pot to 350 degrees F. Break the cracklings into small, inch-sized pieces. Fry in batches for 30 to 45 seconds, until crisp and puffy. Remove from the oil and season with salt. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Lay the crackers face up on a clean work surface and scoop 1/2 teaspoon Parmesan on each. Wrap each cracker with a piece of the bacon so the seam side is on the bottom and the cracker and cheese are covered as much as possible. Place the crackers seam-side down on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Bake until the bacon is golden and crisp, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the jelly with 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl and microwave on high until warmed through and loose, about 30 seconds; add more water if necessary.
• When the crackers are done, brush each with the jelly, sprinkle with the cayenne if using and serve immediately.

Steps:

• If you have time, rub salt in the pork skin 2 hours before cooking and leave it uncovered in the fridge. Heat the oven to 230C/210C fan/gas 8. Turn the pork rind-side down and with a small knife make about 6 deep incisions along the meat. Poke a sliver of garlic, a piece of rosemary and bay in each incision and turn the pork the right way up. If you didn't salt the pork earlier salt the skin now.
• Mix the carrot, onion and apple and scatter along the middle of a shallow roasting tray to make a bed for the pork to sit on. Sit the pork on the vegetables and rub the skin with the oil. Place the pork in the oven and leave for 15 mins then turn the heat down to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and continue to roast for 1hr 30 mins. If after this time you don't have brilliant crackling turn the heat up again and check every 5 mins until the skin has crackled.
• Remove the pork from the roasting tray to a board to rest and pour off all but about 2 tbsp of fat from the tray. If your tray is robust enough to go on the heat then do so, if not scrape the contents into a shallow saucepan and place on the heat. Stir the flour in with the veg and cook until you have a mushy, dark amber paste then splash in the cider and bubble down to a thick paste again. Pour in the stock and simmer everything for 8-10 mins until you have thickened gravy. Strain the sauce into another saucepan pushing as much puréed apple as you can through the sieve. Simmer again and season to taste.
• Carve the pork loin with crackling attached into slices using a serrated knife and serve with your favourite vegetables and the apple and cider gravy.

Steps:

• Using a utility knife, razor blade or sharp knife, score skin into 1 1/2-inch squares, then use score marks as guides to cut through meat and fat underneath, resulting in 1 1/2-inch cubes.
• Pour oil into a pot deep enough that top of oil is at least 6 inches from rim; place over medium-high heat. When oil reaches 225 degrees on a deep-fat frying thermometer, add pork cubes and immediately stir gently to prevent clumping. Cook pork until it is lightly golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes. Meanwhile, combine spices in a small bowl.
• Reheat oil to 400 or 425 degrees and add pork again. Cook for another 3 to 5 minutes or until skin "cracks" or bubbles up. Remove cubes to a plate lined with fresh paper towels. After a minute put cracklings in a bowl, toss with spice mix and kosher salt, and serve.