Pork crackling

Dry the rind thoroughly, score it without cutting into the meat, then rub salt into the cuts. Roast skin-side up at 220°C for about 25–35 minutes until blistered, then lower the oven to 180°C and cook the joint through.

Yes. Pat the rind dry, score and salt it, then air-fry skin-side up at 200°C for roughly 20–30 minutes, checking as it puffs; thicker pieces may need longer. Cook any attached pork until the centre reaches 75°C.

The rind may have been damp, insufficiently salted or cooked at too low a temperature. Blot it dry before roasting, leave it uncovered in the fridge overnight if you can, and start with a very hot oven so the skin bubbles.

Keep cooked crackling in an airtight container at room temperature and eat it within a couple of days; refrigeration can soften it. If it has gone chewy, refresh it briefly in a hot oven, watching closely so it does not burn.

Pork crackling is usually the crisp skin cooked on a roast joint, often with a little fat attached. Pork scratchings are snack pieces made from pork rind and tend to be harder and saltier; scratchings have 580 kcal and 54.1 g protein per 100 g, compared with 550 kcal and 36 g protein in crackling.

Serve it alongside roast pork with apple sauce, gravy and roast potatoes, or break it into shards over pea soup or a salad for crunch. Keep it separate until serving so steam from hot food does not soften it.

Yes. Dry the rind well, score it, salt it and roast it skin-side up on a rack at 220°C until blistered and crisp, usually around 30–45 minutes depending on thickness. Let it cool before breaking it into pieces.

A 30 g handful provides 11 g of protein and 165 kcal. Its protein content is high, but crackling is also rich in fat, so it is best treated as a small, occasional snack.