![]() ![]() Why don't I just put them in a pan to crisp up, he suggests. The butcher at the Ginger Pig is slightly surprised by my mission. Belly because it's the ultimate crackling cut, and also because in the course of my research, I have learnt from the great Simon Hopkinson that: "There are two simple things necessary for crackling: a nice dry rind, and a good thick layer of fat underneath it." And I reckon four layers of fat will be even better than one. ![]() Unable to find even two recipes which agreed exactly on what to do and when, I identify seven main schools of thought, and then go in search of the raw material for my quest: slices of pork belly. ![]() Post-scoring, everyone goes their own separate ways in search of the porcine holy grail. Sadly, this is where the happy crackling consensus breaks down. If you cut too far down, and reach the meat, you will allow juices to escape as well, which is obviously much less desirable. This is to allow the heat to penetrate the fat, and, as it bubbles up through the cuts, to baste the top during cooking. There's no debate on this: everyone tells you to score the rind, usually using a Stanley knife, in vertical lines about a finger's width apart. The basic principles of great crackling seem simple enough. Score the fat, but don't cut all the way though to the meat below.
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