Roast pork neck with horseradish slaw

"Pork neck is perfect to spit roast, if it has skin even better. Ensure the neck is well attached to the skewer; a piece of coat hanger works well. This way of barbecuing ensures everything is cooked in one container and also has the benefit of all the juices being absorbed into the vegetables." Peter Kuruvita, Peter Kuruvita's Coastal Kitchen

• serves

  4

• prep

  45 minutes

• cook

  1 hour

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 1 pork neck with skin on (about 1.5 kg)
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp caraway seeds
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 large sweet potato, scrubbed and cut into chunks
• 4 medium Sebago potatoes, scrubbed and halved
• 1 small wedge pumpkin, seeded and cut into chunks
• 3 red apples

 

Horseradish slaw

• 3 tsp finely grated horseradish or 1 tbsp prepared horseradish
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 60 ml (¼ cup) rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 small red chilli, seeded and finely diced
• 2 cups finely shredded wombok (Chinese cabbage)
• 1 small carrot, peeled and shredded or finely grated
• 6 snow peas, trimmed and thinly sliced on the diagonal
• ½ cup coriander leaves
• ½ cup mint leaves
• 2 spring onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

Standing time 1 hour or overnight if time permits

Resting time 10 minutes

Instructions

Pat dry the meat with paper towel.  Using a small sharp knife, deeply score the rind at 1 cm intervals, being careful to not cut into the meat.  If time allows, leave the scored roast uncovered in the fridge for 1 hour, or ideally overnight.  This process further dries the rind and aids the crackling process.

When you're ready to cook, preheat a barbecue rotisserie to 380°C.  Put the pork on a wire rack in the sink and pour a jug of boiling water over the rind. Pat dry thoroughly with paper towel. Rub all over with the oil, then rub in the salt (more if you like salty crackling), making sure the oil and salt penetrate the scores. Rub in the garlic powder, then the ground cumin.  Push the caraway seeds into the crevices under the skin, then pepper all over, patting it down so it sticks. 

Put the first fork midway along the skewer, then add the pork, through the centre and fasten with the second fork.  To keep the pork in place, wrap a piece of wire around each end of the pork and tighten to keep it in place.  Add a counter weight to ensure an even spin. Scatter the vegetables over the tray under the pork, right in the centre, then place the apples in the coolest part of the barbecue. Cover and cook for 25 -30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Remove the vegetables and apples, then cook for the pork for another 30 minutes.

To remove the pork, hold the meat with a cloth and pull it off the skewer.  Using a clean pair of pliers undo the wire. To make sure your crackling is ready, remove it from the meat and put it back into the barbecue until crisp.  Set the meat aside to rest for 10 minutes. While the meat is resting, return the vegetables and apples to the barbecue to reheat.

Meanwhile, to make the slaw, combine the horseradish, sugar, vinegar, fish sauce, garlic and chilli in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and toss to coat well. Season to taste.

To serve, slice the pork and serve with the vegetables, apples, crackling and slaw.

Note

• As a rule of thumb, cook for the pork for 40 minutes per kilo. 

Photography by Dan Freene. Food preparation by Peter Kuruvita/Cody Fahey.

Peter Kuruvita's Coastal Kitchen airs Thursdays at 8.30pm on SBS. Visit the program page for more details, recipes and guides.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.