There’s nothing quite like the crunch of perfectly blistered pork crackling. That golden, glassy skin paired with juicy, tender pork beneath? It’s a classic Aussie favourite — and when done right, it’s the highlight of any roast dinner.
But here’s the thing: making perfect pork crackling isn’t as tricky as it seems. With a few simple tips and the right cut of pork, you’ll be nailing that crispy finish every time. At The Lucky Pig, we’re all about helping our customers cook with confidence — so here’s how we recommend you do it.
1. Start with High-Quality, 100% Australian Pork
Crackling success starts before the oven even warms up. The cut you choose, and where you buy it from, makes all the difference.
Supermarket pork is often pre-packed and processed days in advance. It can come injected with brine or additives, and the skin may be too damp or rubbery for proper crackling. That’s why it’s always best to buy from a trusted butcher.
At The Lucky Pig, we hand-trim, score, and prepare each roast with crackling in mind. Our Free-Range Pork Loin Roast is a customer favourite — with a generous skin cap, well-balanced marbling, and the ideal fat-to-meat ratio for roasting.
And most importantly? All of our pork is 100% Australian — supporting local farmers and raised to the highest welfare standards.
2. Score the Skin for a Crisp Finish
Scoring the skin helps the heat penetrate the fat layer, encouraging even blistering and that signature crackle. At The Lucky Pig, we score every pork roast by hand — but if you’re doing it yourself, use a sharp knife to make shallow cuts about 5mm apart.
Tip: Don’t cut too deep! You want to slice through the skin and fat, but not into the meat underneath.
3. Dry the Skin Thoroughly
Moisture is the enemy of crispy crackling. After bringing your pork home, place it uncovered in the fridge overnight, skin-side up. This dries out the skin and sets you up for a top result.
Before roasting, use paper towel to pat the skin dry — even if it already looks dry, do it again.
4. Salt and Heat Are Your Best Friends
Right before roasting, rub a generous amount of salt into the skin. Salt draws out surface moisture and helps create bubbles and blisters for that golden crunch.
For cooking, we recommend this method:
• Preheat your oven to 230–240°C and roast the pork for 20–30 minutes to get the crackling started.
• Then, reduce the temperature to 160–180°C and continue roasting until the pork is cooked through.
This two-step method gives you crispy crackling and tender, juicy meat underneath.
5. Let It Rest — But Keep the Crackling Crisp
Once the pork is cooked, let it rest uncovered for 10–15 minutes before carving. This helps the meat stay juicy without softening the crackling.
Do not cover with foil — the steam will undo all your hard work!
6. Troubleshooting Pork Crackling
• Crackling still soft? Put the roast under the grill for a few minutes — watch closely!
• Rubbery texture? The skin wasn’t dry enough or the oven wasn’t hot enough.
• Too hard or burnt? You may have overcooked it or salted too early.
Need help? Just ask us in-store — we’re here to make sure your roast is a success.
Ready to Roast?
You can shop our Free-Range Pork Loin Roast online or visit us in-store at 452 Centre Road, Bentleigh. Prefer another cut? Ask us about pork belly or shoulder for slow-roasting with sensational crackling.
Want to show off your results? Tag us on Instagram @luckypigbentleigh — we’d love to see your crispy crunchy dinners!
Keep crack-a-lackin ;)
Luke the butcher
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