Roast Pork with Crackling

Ingredients:

2.25kg loin of pork (with bottom bone removed)
1 small onion
1 tsp sea salt flakes, crushed
1 tbsp plain flour
280ml dry cider
280ml vegetable stock
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Method:

Sit the meat on a butcher's block and taking a very sharp knife (a craft knife or stanley knife is ideal) score the skin in thin strips, cutting half way through the fat beneath the skin.

Peel and halve the onion then sit the pork in a roasting tin, skin side uppermost. Wedge the onion slightly beneath the pork (this ensures the meat remains in place) then sprinkle about 1 tsp of the sea salt flakes over the skin, rubbing in thoroughly.

Place the pork in an oven pre-heated to 240°C and roast for 25 minutes. Turn the heat down to 180°C and roast for a further 35 minutes per 500g (for a 2.25kg roast this would be a further 2 hours, 40 minutes). The pork is done when a skewer inserted into the thickest part of the roast releases juices that are completely clear, with no trace of pinkness.

Remove the roast from the oven and sit on a block covered with foil. Allow to rest for 30 minutes before carving.

To make a gravy, place the roasting tin over low heat on the hob. Scatter the flour over the pan juices and stir in to form a smooth roux. Whisk in the cider and vegetable stock then turn the heat up to medium. Keep whisking until the mixture comes to a simmer then adjust the seasonings to taste and strain the gravy into a warmed jug. Carve the pork in slices (making certain each portion has some crackling to accompany) and serve accompanied by the gravy.