Roast pork with crispy crackling

1) The pork neck is often pre-cut along the rind by the butcher—but it’s a good idea to check it with a sharp knife. Cut through the rind, through the fat, and just down to where the meat begins or just before. Be sure not to cut into the meat, because the meat juices will make the rind soft during roasting, and it will be harder (though not impossible) to get a crispy rind.

2) Grind the salt very finely in a mortar and mix it with freshly ground pepper, then rub it thoroughly into the rind and down into each groove. Rubbing salt well into the grooves of the pork roast makes a big difference when it comes to achieving the perfect rind.

3) Place the pork roast on a rack set over a roasting pan—or an oven-safe dish with a rack. Place bay leaves and thyme under the pork roast on the rack. The rack is used to raise the pork roast slightly above the dish so that it does not come into direct contact with the juices. Make sure the rind is roughly level—if necessary, place a peeled potato under one end of the roast to ensure it lies completely flat. This ensures an evenly roasted, crispy rind. Pour water into the bottom of the roasting pan. It should not touch the pork roast but should be under the rack.

4) Place the pork roast in a cold oven! Set the oven to 125°C (convection) and roast for 2 hours. Turn the temperature up to 200 degrees and continue roasting for 30 minutes. Finally, turn the temperature up to 225 degrees and continue roasting until the rind is crispy. This takes about 15–20 minutes, and if it takes longer than that, you can finish it off with a little broiling at the end. Grilling is usually not necessary, but it can help achieve a crispy rind at the end if meat juices have seeped into the rind (if the score marks were too deep) or if not enough salt was rubbed between the rinds.

5) Let the roast pork rest on a cutting board for 15 minutes before carving it.