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Grid Iron Meat

GRID IRON GOURMET / THE KITCHEN

Puffed Pork Scratchings

Crispy, puffed pork scratchings made from skin-on fat are a world away from the dusty packets behind the bar. Done properly, they’re rich, golden, and blistered with savoury depth and just enough chew. This recipe uses skin with a good 1cm layer of fat attached — the key to perfect puff.

INGREDIENTS
  • Pork skin with 1cm fat attached (as much as you like)
  • Coarse sea salt
  • Optional seasonings: white pepper, smoked paprika, cider vinegar powder, chilli flakes
METHOD

  1. Prep the skin:
    • Slice the pork skin into strips or chunks about 2–3cm wide.
    • Pat dry thoroughly and sprinkle all over with sea salt.
    • Place skin-side up in a roasting tin and leave uncovered in the fridge overnight to air-dry.
  2. Slow render:
    • Preheat the oven to 140°C fan.
    • Roast the skin skin-side up in a shallow tray for 90 minutes, turning halfway through.
    • This step slowly renders the fat while beginning to dry the surface.
  3. Cool and dry:
    • Remove from the oven and place the pieces on a wire rack to cool completely. This helps the surface firm up, which improves the final puff.
  4. Final roast for crisping:
    • Turn the oven up to 220°C fan.
    • Return the cooled skin to a clean dry tray, skin-side up again, and roast for 15–25 minutes, until golden, puffed and blistered.
    • Keep an eye on them — they can go from golden to burnt quickly.
  5. Season:
    • Toss with extra sea salt or any dry seasoning you like while still warm.

Multi-Cooker Option

Ninja Foodi / Air Fryer:

  • After slow-roasting and cooling, crisp the scratchings in the Air Crisp mode at 200°C for 5–10 minutes until blistered and golden.
  • Work in batches to avoid overcrowding.
  • Line the basket to catch rendered fat for later use.
  • Let cool slightly before seasoning.

What sides and matches work well with this?

Sides:

  • Sharp apple and cabbage slaw – cuts through the richness
  • Creamy mash with cider gravy – crumble scratchings over the top
  • Pickled onions or beetroot – old school but perfect
  • Soft-boiled eggs or mustard mayo dip – proper pub snack energy
  • Chopped into a warm potato salad – crispy, salty edge

Matches:

  • Vinegar powder, mustard, caraway seed
  • Apples, beetroot, parsley
  • Cider, ale, cheddar cheese
  • Barley, lentils, brown butter
  • Dijon, honey, sour cream
Preparation Time: 15 minutes active, plus overnight drying
Cooking Time: About 2 hours total

Hot Tips

  • The fat is essential — too lean and they won’t puff.
  • Drying overnight in the fridge helps ensure a crispy result.
  • Save the rendered fat from step 2 for roasting potatoes.
  • Store cooled scratchings in an airtight tub for up to a week.
  • You can freeze the cooked, cooled scratchings and reheat in a hot oven to crisp them back up.

Print recipe

Pairings

Red Wine:

  • Zweigelt – fresh, tangy, and cuts through the fat
  • Cabernet Franc – light tannin, earthy backbone

White Wine:

  • Dry Chenin Blanc – apple acidity and some texture
  • Manzanilla sherry – salty, savoury, excellent with fat

Beer & Cider:

  • Bitter or Pale Ale – classic match for porky richness
  • Dry cider – apple sharpness to lift the crackling

Non-Alcoholic:

  • Apple shrub or cider vinegar soda – tart and refreshing
  • Sparkling water with lemon & bay
  • Iced tea with a pinch of salt and sugar – savoury balance

Shop for Ingredients

Raw rare breed pork skin with fat attached, 1kg

Rare Breed Pork – Skin with fat – 1kg

Rare Breed Pork Skin with Fat – 1kg. Raw pork skin (pork rind) with fat attached, for making homemade pork scratchings or extra crackling alongside a roast pork joint. Supplied uncooked for preparation at home.

£8.25

View Product

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