I've been scoring pork skin for crackling all wrong, and a customer's comment last month made it click.

They said their roast's crackle was 'tough, not crunchy,' which made me realize my scores were too shallow, so now I go almost to the fat layer and the difference is night and day, so what's your method for perfect scoring depth?

3 comments

3 Comments

allen.aaron2mo ago

Honestly, that "dry the skin out in the fridge" part is the real game changer. I had the same tough crackling issue until I started leaving it uncovered overnight. A sharp knife and those shallow scores work perfect when the skin's bone dry.

the_william2mo ago

My grandad taught me to score just a quarter inch deep, and that's always worked for me. Going all the way to the fat makes the skin shrink back too much and it can burn. The real trick is drying the skin out in the fridge overnight before you even score it. Shallow cuts with a really sharp blade give you that light, bubbly crunch.

harperg762mo agoMost Upvoted

But I've always had better luck, @the_william, going deeper into the fat so it really crisps up.