Roast pork
Roast pork shoulder with the perfect crackling gets a Hairy Bikers' Med makeover with smoky Spanish spices. Serve with simple potatoes and the tasty pan juices.
Ingredients
- 2–2.5kg/4lb 8oz–5lb 8oz boned pork shoulder, rolled, skin scored
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ lemon, juice only
- 2 onions, thickly sliced
- salt
For the rub
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 red chilli, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
- 4 cloves, ground
- ½ tsp black peppercorns, crushed
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp dried thyme (or 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme)
- 1 tsp dried oregano (or 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh oregano)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp red wine or sherry vinegar
For the gravy (optional)
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 100ml/3½fl oz white wine or Fino sherry
Method
Preheat the oven to 230C/210C Fan/Gas 8. For the rub, mix all the rub ingredients together with a pinch of salt.
Push the rub into the score lines of the pork skin and deep into the flesh – you should be able to do this without cutting through the meat as the joint is rolled. Wipe off any excess from the skin, then rub with the olive oil and pour over the lemon juice. Sprinkle the skin with salt.
Spread the onion over the base of a roasting tin and place the pork on top. Add 250ml/9fl oz water. Roast on the high heat for half an hour – after this point the skin should be starting to crisp up and brown. Reduce the heat to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4, then continue to roast for 25 minutes per half kilo of meat.
Remove the pork from the oven and leave to rest, lightly covered with foil, for at least 15 minutes. Strain off the contents of the roasting tin, arranging the onions around the pork if you like, then wait for the liquid to settle. Skim off the fat (there will be quite a lot).
If making gravy, sprinkle a tablespoon of flour over the roasting tin and stir over a medium heat until you have scraped up anything stuck to the base of the tin. Add the wine or sherry and mix until you have a roux-like paste. Add the skimmed pan juices and thin with a little more water if necessary to make a gravy.
Alternatively, simply serve the pork with the skimmed pan juices – they will have plenty of flavour from the rub.
