One of the best parts of a roast NZ pork dinner is the anticipation of crispy crackling to top it off. But with so much anticipation comes a whole lot of pressure on the cook so here's our sure fire way to get a great result.

Dry the meat thoroughly

Getting all the moisture out of the rind is one of the keys to success. Pat it with paper towels and if possible leave it uncovered overnight in the fridge.

Score the fat but not too deeply

You want to cut deep into the fat but not into the meat so take your time to gauge how far to cut

Salt Generously

The puff of crackling is created when salt reacts with the fat.

Make sure you rub salt and oil liberally into the score marks.

Choose your cut carefully

When it comes to choosing a cut of pork, start with a pork belly, being a more marbled cut, the meat is less likely to dry out with overcooking. A pork shoulder is also going to be more forgiving of cook time while you're learning. Whatever cut you choose, try to get the fat as level as possible in the oven as this will help create an even crackle across the whole piece of meat.

Watch out for marinades

If your recipe includes a marinade, like this Sticky Pork Belly, then make sure you keep it to the meat only, the fat needs to stay dry to get that crackly magic.