Ingredients

• 2.25kg/5lb loin of pork
• bottom bone removed
• top bone left in
• 1 small onion
• peeled
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 275ml/10fl oz dry cider
• 275ml/10fl oz vegetable stock (or potato water)
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Pre-heat the oven to 240C/Fan 220C/Gas 9.
• While the oven is preheating
• score the skin of the pork. It will be scored already
• but it's always best to add a few more lines. To do this you can use the point of a very sharp paring knife
• or Stanley knife
• or you can now even buy a special scalpel from a good quality kitchen shop! What you need to do is score the skin all over into thin strips
• bringing the blade of the knife about halfway through the fat beneath the skin.
• Now place the pork in a tin
• skin-side up
• halve the onion and wedge the two pieces in slightly underneath the meat. Now take about 1 tablespoon of crushed salt crystals and sprinkle it evenly over the skin
• pressing it in as much as you can.
• Place the pork on a high shelf in the oven and roast it for 25 minutes. Turn the heat down to 190C/Fan 170C/Gas 5
• and calculate the total cooking time
• allowing 35 minutes to the pound
• then deduct the initial 25 minutes cooking time. In this case it would be a further 2½ hours.
• There's no need to baste pork as there is enough fat to keep the meat moist. The way to tell if the meat is cooked is to insert a skewer in the thickest part and the juices that run out should be absolutely clear without any trace of pinkness.
• When the pork is cooked remove it from the oven and give it at least 30 minutes resting time before carving. While that is happening
• tilt the tin and spoon all the fat off
• leaving only the juces. The onion will probably be black and charred
• which gives the gravy a lovely rich colour. Leave the onion in
• then place the roasting tin over direct heat
• turned to low
• sprinkle in the flour and quickly work it into the juices with a wooden spoon.
• Now turn the heat up to medium and gradually add the cider and the stock
• this time using a balloon whisk until it comes up to simmering point and you have a smooth rich gravy. Taste and season with salt and pepper
• then discard the onion and pour the gravy into a warmed serving jug. Serve the pork carved in slices
• giving everyone some crackling.