Oven-Roasted Pork Loin with Crackling Skin

This holiday recipe is simple and easy to make, and if you give proper instructions to the butcher, your work is 70 percent done.

Ask your butcher for a pork loin roast cut, skin-on and boneless. Have the skin scored to around 1/4-inch. Keep the bones for the roasting—they will contribute to the delicious pan sauce or drippings. The most important step is the brining and  towel-drying of the skin to ensure that chicharon crispness.

Prep Time 30 minutes, plus overnight brining  Baking Time 30 to 45 minutes

For the brine
2 liters ice cold water
1/2 cup salt
1/4 cup sugar
5 bay leaves
1 tablespoon pepper
1 cup chopped garlic

For the vegetable aromatics bed
300 grams peeled and halvedm red onions
200 grams garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
10 bay leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1 pork loin, approximately between 1 to 1 1/2 kilos (prepared by butcher as described at top)
rock salt
freshly cracked black pepper

1  Make the brine: Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl. Submerge pork roast and refrigerate overnight.

2  Remove pork from the brine. Pat the meat and skin dry so the meat will cook through.

3  Mix all ingredients for the vegetable aromatics bed then spread on a roasting pan. Place the roast over the bed then season well with salt and pepper. Add pork bones.

4  Bake in a preheated  350ºF oven, until tender and completely cooked.  (As a guide, a kilo of pork will cook in 30 minutes.)

5  Serve with roasted vegetables, if desired, and collected pan drippings.

Photography by At Maculangan │ Art Direction by Jonathan Roxas │ Prop Styling by Becky Kho

• Aleeza Dec 18 2010 @ 06:02pm Report Abuse

  1    

  super crunchy! the best! and those are just a couple of comments.thanks for the recipe!
• Aimee Oct 27 2010 @ 01:24pm Report Abuse

     

  The crackling skin tastes like chicharon. The worst thing about this is ubos agad. Wipeout!