Pork

Roast pork knuckle with perfect crackle

Name: Roast pork knuckle with crackling recipe
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 x 1.6kg hind leg pork knuckles; 40.00 ml apple cider vinegar; 1kg orange sweet potato washed, unpeeled, cut into 5cm pieces; 4 carrots, trimmed, unpeeled; 1 bunch baby beetroot, green tops trimmed, leaving 3cm attached; 375ml can apple cider; 1 bunch sage, leaves picked; 250g baby cucumbers, very thinly sliced; 1 tsp caster sugar; 40.00 ml apple cider vinegar; 62.50 ml firmly packed dill leaves; 40.00 ml extra virgin olive oil; 1/2 (750g total) medium red cabbage, cut into 4 wedges through core; 3 tsp caraway seeds (or fennel seeds); 20.00 ml brown sugar; 50g unsalted butter

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by Colin Fassnidge

Chef and My Kitchen Rules judge

Jul 07, 2023

When the cold creeps in, get cracking with Colin Fassnidge and Anthony Puharich’s German-inspired roast.

2 x 1.6kg hind leg pork knuckles
1 tbs apple cider vinegar
1kg orange sweet potato washed, unpeeled, cut into 5cm pieces
4 carrots, trimmed, unpeeled
1 bunch baby beetroot, green tops trimmed, leaving 3cm attached
375ml can apple cider
1 bunch sage, leaves picked

Dill pickled baby cucumbers

250g baby cucumbers, very thinly sliced
1 tsp caster sugar
2 tbs apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup firmly packed dill leaves

Sweet roasted cabbage

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1/2 (750g total) medium red cabbage, cut into 4 wedges through core
3 tsp caraway seeds (or fennel seeds)
1 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs apple cider vinegar
50g unsalted butter

Method

1.

Stand pork knuckles upright on a wire rack set over an oven tray. Place in the fridge, uncovered, for 2 days to dry out.
2.

When ready to cook, preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Position oven rack on lowest shelf. Dry pork knuckles with paper towel. Prick skin all over (the more you prick the skin, the crispier the crackle) using the tip of a metal skewer. Brush flesh only with 2 tsp vinegar (this prevents a strong aroma when cooking), then rub skin all over with 1 tbs fine salt. Stretch skin down firmly towards base of knuckle and secure with two metal skewers, crossing over, going through the flesh as close to the bone as possible (this prevents the skin shrinking or tearing as it bakes). Set aside.
3.

Place sweet potato, carrot, beetroot, cider and sage in a very large, deep roasting pan. Season well. Set a wire rack over pan and place pork knuckles, standing upright, on rack. Roast, rotating pan halfway and adding 1/3 cup (80ml) water if cider reduces by more than half, for 2 hours 30 minutes or until cooked when thickest part of the knuckle is 85°C on a meat thermometer and skin is light golden.
4.

Meanwhile, for the pickled cucumber, place all ingredients and 1/2 tsp fine salt in a medium bowl. Gently toss. Season, cover and chill, tossing occasionally.
5.

Carefully remove roasting pan from oven, then transfer pork knuckles and rack to a foil-lined baking tray. Cover roasting pan with foil to keep vegetables warm.
6.

Increase oven to 260°C/240°C fan-forced.
7.

Brush knuckle skin with some remaining vinegar. Roast for 40 minutes, brushing with a little more vinegar and turning a quarter turn every 10 minutes, until skin is evenly crisp. Remove from oven and rest for 15 minutes, then carefully remove skewers.
8.

Meanwhile, prepare the cabbage. Heat oil in a large ovenproof frypan over high heat. Cook cabbage wedges for 2 minutes each side or until lightly charred. Remove from heat and add all other ingredients and 1/2 tsp fine salt. Turn cabbage to coat, then transfer pan to the 260°C/240°C fan-forced oven and roast for 10 minutes or until tender and caramelised. Turn cabbage in pan once more and serve with pork knuckles, vegetables and cucumber.