Ingredients

• 2kg/4lb 6oz loin of pork on the bone
• skin on (look for one with a good layer of fat)
• salt
• 3-6 banana shallots
• 250ml/9fl oz dry cider
• 570ml/1 pint dry cider
• 500ml/18fl oz chicken stock
• 1 heaped tsp honey
• 1 heaped tsp wholegrain mustard
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp double cream (optional)
• fresh sage leaves (optional)

Directions

• Have the butcher French-trim the rib bones. Ask the butcher to score the skin in vertical stripes 1cm/½in apart. You can do this yourself with a very sharp knife.
• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
• Dry the pork thoroughly with kitchen towels and rub all over with salt.
• Place the pork and any trimmings into a roasting tin.
• Peel the shallots
• cut them in half lengthways and add them to the tin. Pour 250ml/9fl oz dry cider into the tin.
• Roast the pork for 45 minutes (allow an extra five minutes for every additional 250g/9oz of pork)
• checking occasionally that there's enough liquid in the roasting pan and topping up with a little hot water from the kettle if necessary
• After 45 minutes (or relevant cooking time) increase the temperature to 200C/375F/Gas 5 to make the crackling crisp up. Cook the pork for another 45 minutes at this temperature (again allow an extra five minutes for every additional 250g/9oz of pork).
• Meanwhile
• make the sauce. Pour the cider and chicken stock together in a pan and bring to a simmer. Add the honey and mustard and season
• to taste
• with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Simmer
• to reduce
• for about one hour. The sauce should reduce by three-quarters.
• At the end of the cooking time
• when the sauce has reduced
• allow to cool slightly and add the double cream
• if using. Stir thoroughly.
• When the pork is cooked
• remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for at least 15 minutes. Pour any juices from the pork into your sauce.
• To serve
• remove the crackling in one piece (if it's not crispy enough then return it to the oven for 5-10 minutes). Cut the loin off the bone in one piece. Carve the meat into thick slabs and serve a good piece of crackling and some shallot with each one. Pour over the sauce and garnish with fresh sage leaves.