I believe in fate or kismet or whatever you may want to call it. Recipes or things often present themselves at a time when I need them. Case in point was this recipe. I was cleaning up and saw this magazine, open on this recipe. I meant to clean up and throw it out but I hesitated as the photo of the pork was so eye catching. We were having the in laws over that weekend and that meant feeding mostly vegetarians. I had planned on making a simple Gado Gado but then I realised that my non vegetarian brother in law despises peanuts. My mind immediately went to this pork recipe that I had seen only hours earlier and so it was decided that I would make this too.
Bound as only an experienced sailor could do
The only thing that confounded me was tying the string. The local butcher could do this but my husband wanted to give this a go and I have to applaud him, his experience as a sailor meant that he had tying the string down pat. While I peeled the apples for the apple sauce, his hands whizzed over the loin and tied it perfectly before I had the second apple peeled.
Delicious leftovers
This is a Donna Hay recipe and like all of her recipes it’s styled beautifully and is beautifully simple not requiring a wedding guest list sized amount of ingredients. In truth this could serve 4-6 people depending on how hungry they were but I would suggest making this for 2-3 people because of the delicious leftovers. In this case, the pork actually somehow becomes more tender the day after and when sliced paper thinly, it is absolutely mouth watering on buttered fresh bread with a generous dollop of the apple sauce. Or you can pop it on top of a bowl of ramen or noodle soup. Your tastebuds will indeed be thankful the next day for this foresight.
Mmm crispy crackling…
The proudest part of this is of course the crackling, heady and flavoursome with freshly ground rosemary salt. Crackling is one of those things that I know is so damn bad for me but I just cannot tear myself away from it. Crackling is my Crack. Some people can eat a whole tub of ice cream, for me it’s 1/3 of a scoop and I’m done. But with crackling I need to put safety guards up and tell those around me to take it away from me should I bliss out crunching on the fatty, crispy goodness. You can tell when I’ve entered this state as my eyes are closed and I’m not listening to a word you or anyone else is saying. The earth shatteringly crispy crackling sound is ringing in my ears and you see, I’m listening to the pork crackling.
Rosemary Roasted Pork with Maple Apple Sauce
- 1.8 kg pork loin
- 1/4 cup rosemary
- 2 tablespoons sea salt flakes (like Maldon)
- olive oil, for drizzling
1. If you have time the night before, leave the pork skin uncovered in the fridge (cover the loin though) so that it can dry out as much as possible (to make the crackling extra crispy). Preheat the oven to 220c.
Rosemary and sea salt in frying pan
2. Place the rosemary and sea salt in a small frying pan and cook for 1-2 minutes over a high heat until the fragrance of the rosemary comes out. Grind salt and rosemary with a mortar and pestle until it becomes a forest green shaded salt mixture.
Slicing through the loin at the fat layer
3. Dry the pork skin as much as possible with paper towels to make sure every drop of water is removed. Using a very sharp knife, score the rind horizontally across or in whichever pattern pleases you. Cut the loin inside where the fat divides the light and dark meat and smear with some of the Rosemary Salt mixture. Tie the loin with kitchen string (my husband did this but a butcher can show you or do this for you) and place in a baking dish lined with baking paper. Rub the Rosemary Salt mixture onto the pork rind. Drizzle over with oil and massage into the skin.
Bound tightly to keep the moisture in
4. Roast pork at 220c for 30 minutes, then lower the heat to 180c and roast for 45 minutes. If the skin hasn’t “crackled” turn up the heat to 230c or 240c and blast for 10 minutes until blistered and crispy. Remove the crackling and divide among eaters. Slice the loin very thinly and serve with the Maple Apple sauce below and crackling.
Rosemary Salt
Maple apple sauce
- 6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut up
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- salt and pepper
Cooked apples prior to adding maple syrup and mashing
1. Place apple pieces and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Cover with lid and cook for 10 minutes until the apple is soft and mashable. Add maple syrup, salt and pepper and mash with a fork until it becomes a sauce.
Adapted from a recipe by Donna Hay for the Sunday Telegraph Magazine
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16 Comments | Add your own
i beg to differ, that crackling has my name on it. u know i don’t care that much for ice cream.
Can I come eat at your house?! I don’t usually eat much pork but roast pork with a really good apple sauce or chutney makes me weak at the knees! And yes, that includes a weakness for crackling also. Great pictures too!
NQN, this looks amazing! Could you invite me over next time you make this please? haha j/k. Do you suppose I could make this with less meat, say half a kilo? (and how would I adjust the cooking time?) I can’t imagine roasting 1.8kg for 2 people ><
>__< wahhhhhh
thanks for your comment.
this roast looks out of the world. hmmm I tried making roast a few times it never looks this great. 
I ll try following your advice next time.
Delicious! I love love love LOVE roast pork- well crackling actually! I’m completely addicted to roast pork belly and since my boyfriend doesn’t like crackling, I end up getting to eat it all!
i’m surprised there were ANY leftovers at all!
what fantastic photos.
Hi blythe-I’m pretty sure that crackling shouldn’t be eaten by those on a diabetic diet!
Hi Maria-Sure!
A loin of pork like that is meant to be shared . Thankyou so much!
Hi Kathy-Hehe if you can make the trip from America sure! You could make it smaller. I’m not sure about half a kilo but perhaps 1 kg and halving the cooking time? But honestly the leftovers are superb for sandwiches for a few days afterwards or to put on top of ramen or noodle soup
Hi Ffichiban-Hehe what’s wrong?
Hi snooky doodle-I don’t do roasts much but I think using this recipe and the tips with the crackling make the world of difference
Hi Bria-Thankyou! My husband doesn’t like crackling either so it’s mine all mine *wicked laugh*. I love pork belly too, I think that will be my next roast
Hi the projectivist-I made sure there were as it was only feeding 3 people but could technically feed 5-6
Thankyou so much!
Hi I just read your comment sorry to disappoint you but those muffin cases I used are onlu made with a piece of baking paper pleated by me and tied around . No ready made ones sorry
Oh. My. Goodness. All that crackling. You have no idea how hard i’m refraining from licking the computer screen.
That looks amazing, to say the least. And i loved it that your husband helped out- looks like he did an incredible job
Awesome looking crackling.. I could stare at it all day! .. or not, because then I’d get too hungry and want to eat it all
what a gorgeous slab of pig. that maple apple sauce sounds absolutely marvelous, as i feel that nothing pairs with pork quite like apple.
That looks great! Definitely will have to try it out! Crackling pork is the best! (I usually don’t seem to like pork unless it is crackling, I find it has a very strong taste of something which I can’t seem to describe!)
Hi snooky doodle-Ahh ok, thanks for letting me know. They look great, I might try pleating some myself
Hi thecoffeesnob-Hehe I don’t think that anyone could ever knock back crackling! Thankyou so much
I should’ve known all of that sailing rope around the house would come in handy one day 
Hi Y-Crackling=Crack=Porn(as in Food Porn). That’s the way I look at it
Hi grace-Thanks
I had several requests for extra jars of the sauce too, it’s so simple but so good!
Hi Carolyn-Thankyou! They asked me if I wanted the skin on my piece of loin or not. I almost asked them if they were serious
Who would say no?
I’m amazed that you had any leftovers for the next day! It looks amazingly good, especially that crackling.
I always buy a big piece of pork, with good intentions of saving some for sandwiches the next day with some nice salsa verde, but it just never seems to happen. Maybe I should hide it…
Hi Angela-Thankyou! hehe I made sure to keep some behind
Although the fact that you don’t have any leftovers is a testament to how tasty your pork is!
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