Looking for an easy and delicious way of cooking pork loin with crackling as part of your roast dinner? Look no further than this roast pork loin recipe!
This succulent pork roast is prepared and roasted to perfection. Not only is it a breeze to make, but this great recipe is also guaranteed to be a family favourite. We'll show you how to create a soft or crispy crackling during roasting.
Pair it with your favourite side dishes like roasted vegetables and potatoes for a satisfying and complete meal that will leave your family and friends wanting more.
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How to Cook Roast Pork Loin
Watch our quick video here to see how simple this pork loin roast recipe is.
Read on to learn all our advice for cooking roast pork loin.
Or Jump to Recipe Card to get on with it!Equipment
Preparing the best roast pork loin with crispy crackling doesn't have to be intimidating. With our simple, step-by-step guide and a few essential kitchen tools, you'll be on your way to creating a mouth-watering meal in no time!
Roasting Tray with a Rack
You'll need a roasting tray with a rack for this pork loin recipe. The rack allows heat to circulate the entire piece of meat, ensuring it cooks uniformly. Plus, it keeps the meat elevated, preventing it from sitting in its fat juices and becoming soggy. You can use root vegetables as a base in the baking pan instead of a rack!
Sharp Knife
To achieve that irresistible crackling, you'll need a sharp knife. This tool is crucial for scoring the skin and fat of the pork loin.
Ingredients
With just four everyday ingredients, this recipe for roasted pork loin is super simple and easy to make.
- 2 kg Pork Loin Joint
- Salt and Black Pepper
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
Together, these ingredients will create a flavorful and delicious meal that will be a hit with your family and friends.
Pork Loin Joint
The star of this recipe is the boneless pork loin joint. It's a cut of meat that comes from the area between the shoulder and the start of the leg. The pork tenderloin is often kept intact, rolled and sold as part of the roast loin joint.
It's known for being a lean cut made of tender, making it perfect for roasting, with a delicate layer of fat to create a mouthwatering crackling.
The pork roasting joint we have cooked on this post does not have the skin, only the fat, known as a rindless pork joint, which creates a softer crackling.
For those who crave crispy crackling, ensure your pork loin has the skin (rind) and fat. Keep an eye out for the distinctive pork abattoir stamp on the joint's skin to know that the skin is attached. And fear not. It is perfectly safe to consume the skin with the stamp intact!
Regarding pork, it's important to note that cuts like pork belly, pork shoulder or pork leg cannot be cooked the same way as this lean pork loin roast. Please refer to our other recipes for specific instructions on preparing different pork joints.
Oil
Olive oil applied over the skin layer aids the crackling process and helps the salt and pepper adhere to the meat, imparting a subtle flavour that complements the pork.
For high-heat roasting, use refined olive oil with a high smoke point; avoid extra virgin or virgin olive oil as they will burn. Other oils with high smoke points, such as avocado, vegetable, sunflower or rapeseed oil, are suitable alternatives.
Seasoning
Salt is a key player in this recipe, particularly when it comes to achieving that perfect, crispy pork crackling. By drawing out the moisture from the skin of the pork, salt helps it to crisp up beautifully during roasting.
Black pepper provides a touch of heat to the pork crackling. While this recipe calls for a generous amount of salt and pepper to ensure a good crunch, the quantity can be adjusted according to your taste.
Other Seasonings
While salt and black pepper are the basic seasonings in this recipe, don't be afraid to experiment with other spices and herbs to add your twist. Some popular options include rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder or a spice rub. Dried herbs and seasonings are best to avoid burning.
Just remember, the goal is to enhance the natural flavour of the pork, not overpower it.
Instructions
Let's dive into this simple yet delicious boneless pork loin recipe. Don't worry if you're a beginner. We're here to guide you through each step with our easy recipe instructions.
Prepping a Pork Loin Joint
First, let's prepare our Pork Loin Joint for roasting. Begin by removing the packaging from your pork loin joint.
Gently pat the joint dry using a kitchen paper towels. The aim is to remove excess moisture from the meat because a drier surface will yield a crispier crust when roasted.
Once you've patted it dry, place the joint in your refrigerator. Letting it sit uncovered in the fridge for a few hours or, even better, overnight will help the surface dry out further.
Crackling Preparation
Now that our pork loin joint is well-rested and dry, it's time to prepare it for the star of the show - the crackling. The secret to achieving an irresistible crackling lies in the thick layer of fat on top of the pork loin joint.
Grab a sharp knife and make deep incisions into the fat layer about a finger width apart. Be careful not to pierce into the pork meat beneath.
Drizzle a generous amount of olive oil all over the scored fat layer. Take big pinches of salt and sprinkle it liberally all over the oiled surface.
The salt will draw out moisture from the skin, aiding in the crackling process and bringing out the natural flavours of the pork.
Roasting a Pork Loin Joint
It's time to cook pork loin in the oven and start that magical transformation from raw meat to succulent roast. We will start our roast pork loin on high heat for the first 30 minutes.
Transfer it onto a roasting rack set inside a roasting pan. The rack will allow the heat to circulate evenly around the loin, ensuring it cooks uniformly.
With your oven preheated to a high heat (around 210℃ fan / 230℃ / 450℉ or gas mark 8). Place the joint in the oven.
Cooking Times
Regardless of the size, always start with 30 minutes on high to start the crackling off nicely! Then, use our cook times chart below to help with the remaining cooking time at a lower heat based on the size of the boneless loin joint.
| Pork Loin Joint (boneless) weight | Initial High Heat Cooking Time (230C / fan 210C / 450F or Gas mark 8) | Remaining Cooking Time (180C/ fan 160C/ 350F/gas mark 4) | Total cooking time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 kg (2.2 lb) | 30 min | 1 hour | 1 hour 30 min |
| 1.5kg (3.4 lb) | 30 min | 1 hour 30 min | 2 hours |
| 2kg (4.4 lb) | 30 min | 2 hours | 2 hours 30 min |
| 2.5kg (5.5 lb) | 30 min | 2 hours 30 min | 3 hours |
This is what the pork loin roast will look like after the first 30 minutes on high heat.
Then, continue roasting in the oven turned to low heat, slow-cooking pork loin for the remaining time.
Internal Temperature
Using our recommended, low, slow-cooked method will ensure your pork loin is thoroughly cooked without a meat thermometer.
A temperature check can add reassurance. Use a instant read thermometer. It should be cooked to at least 63°C for a safe internal temperature.
Rest
After cooking, remove it from the oven and let the pork joint rest for about 30 minutes.
There is no need to dive straight in with the carving knife. This resting period lets the juices in the meat redistribute evenly, ensuring every slice is tender and juicy.
Resist the temptation to cover your joint during this resting phase. I know, it might seem like the natural thing to do. But remember that irresistible crackling we worked so hard to achieve? Covering the joint will make it soft; we don't want that!
Carving Boneless Pork Loin
Carefully remove the string from your pork loin joint. Be gentle. We don't want to disturb that gorgeous crackling we've worked so hard to create!
Now comes the exciting part: time to slice pork! Here's where you get to decide how big or small you want your slices to be. Whether you prefer thick slices or thin, delicate ones, or adjust to suit the whole family.
Remember, the key to good carving is a sharp knife and a steady hand.
Serving Suggestions for Roasted Pork Loin
Our beautifully cooked and carved pork loin is a delight on its own, but when served with the right accompaniments, it turns into a feast. We've paired ours with a delightful mix of classic roast dinner sides.
The sweetness of the carrot and swede mash beautifully offsets the savoury pork loin roast, while the roast potatoes add a traditional touch.
We then complement our pork with honey roast parsnips, sage and onion stuffing. Yorkshire puddings are not just for beef, a side dish of green beans with bacon and garlic to bring a pop of colour and an extra layer of flavour.
Last but definitely not least, no pork roast dinner would be complete without some homemade apple sauce. It adds a hint of sweetness that complements the pork beautifully, rounding off the meal on a high note.
More Roast Pork Side Dishes
We have plenty of other roast dinner side dish recipes you can try.
- Parsnip and Sweet Potato Gratin
- Braised Cabbage (White Cabbage Recipe)
- Cauliflower Cheese (Roast Dinner Side Dish)
- Sausage Meat Stuffing Balls with Apple and Chestnut
📖 Step by Step Recipe
Roast Pork Loin Joint
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 kg Pork Loin Joint
- Salt and Black Pepper
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
Instructions
- For crispy crackling, buy a pork loin joint with the skin still attached. The roasting joint seen in this recipe card only has a fat layer, which gives a softer (still tasty) crackling.Open the 2 kg Pork Loin Joint packaging a few hours or the day before. Pat it dry and place it uncovered in the fridge for the skin/fat layer to dry.
- Remove from the fridge 30 minutes to 1 hour before cooking to bring to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 210℃ fan / 230℃ / 450℉ or gas mark 8
- *Check if the butcher has already scored your pork roasting joint.If not, use a sharp knife to carefully score the layer of skin and fat on the joint, making deep incisions about a finger's width apart. Be careful not to cut into the pork meat underneath.
- Rub 1 tablespoon Olive Oil over the scored skin layer.
- Take generous pinches of Salt and Black Pepper and sprinkle them liberally over the skin and between the scores.
- Place the joint on a roasting rack, inside a baking tray, skin side up. This allows heat to circulate the pork loin for even cooking and prevents it from sitting in the fat that drains off the top.*If you don't have a roasting rack, create a makeshift one using vegetables. Arrange a layer of chunky cut root vegetables like carrots and onions to place the pork on to.
- Position the tray in the middle of your preheated oven and roast at a high temperature of 230℃/ 210℃ fan / 450℉ or gas mark 8 for the first 30 minutes.
- After the initial 30 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 180℃/ 160℃ fan / 350℉/gas mark 4 and continue cooking according to the size of your joint:1 kg -1 hour1.5 kg - 1 hour 30 min2 kg - 2 hours2.5 kg - 2 hours 30 min
- Once cooked, remove the pork loin from the oven and allow it to rest for 30 minutes. Avoid covering it during this resting period.
- Before carving, remove the string.
- Now carve your beautifully roasted Pork Loin Joint into your personal desired-sized slices.
- Serve with your favourite roast dinner side dishes and gravy.
Video
Nutrition
This recipe is the best pork loin roast with crispy crackling that will have everyone asking for seconds.
Storage
Here are some tips for storing your leftover pork. Carving all of your cooked roast pork loin while it's still warm not only makes the storage process easier but also aids in reheating later. Allow it to cool, then place the carved slices in airtight containers or resealable plastic bags.
Fridge
You can store the leftovers in the fridge if you plan to eat them within 3-4 days.
Freezer
For longer storage, freeze the roast pork slices. Frozen cooked pork can last up to 2-3 months.
When you're ready to enjoy your leftover pork, if it's frozen, ensure you allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheating
For the best results and to prevent drying out, consider reheating the slices in gravy.
You can gently warm the pork slices in a simmering pot of gravy on the hob, cover them with gravy, and reheat in the oven or microwave.
This method will keep the pork moist and infuse it with additional flavour. Just remember not to overheat to maintain the tender texture of the meat. Read more about reheating pork.
More Roast Meat Recipes
We've got loads of delicious classic roasts for you to choose from. Give them a try, and let us know which one is your favourite!
- Honey Roast Gammon Joint
- Saddle of Lamb Roast Joint
- Slow Roast Silverside Beef Joint
- Slow Roast Lamb Shoulder
Or try some of our other pork recipe ideas, from air fryer bacon to slow cooker sausage casserole.
IMB says
Delicious recipie a big hit with my family.
Luke and Kay says
Thank you for trying out our roast pork loin joint recipe, Irene! We are thrilled to hear that it was a big hit with your family. Nothing brings people together like a delicious meal. We hope you continue to enjoy and share this recipe with others. Happy cooking! 🙂
Jamie says
Oh my, this pork dish looks so delicious and very yummy! It was roasted to perfection making its texture crispy and juiciness inside! I'm craving for this now! Loved it!
DK Park says
This recipe is awesome, I'll definitely give give this one a try thank you for this!