Roast pork is always a favourite for Christmas lunch, just the smell of it wafting from the oven always makes me think of Christmas. We’ve prepared the perfect Roast Pork accompanied with our own homemade Spiced Apple Jam- as we all know apple and pork is a match made in heaven! We all know the key to the best roast pork is having that perfect crackling, and we have just the steps to ensure that for your Christmas lunch!

Our Spiced Apple Jam is super easy to make and is a more ‘jazzed’ up version of your typical apple sauce. It features our Morlife Apple Pectin Powder which works perfectly thanks to its thickening properties. Apple Pectin Powder is an all round great product to add to your diet to increase fibre intake. It is 99% sugar-free and also free of colours, flavours, preservatives and sweeteners.

The Spiced Apple Jam can be made in advance and cooled in the fridge until it’s time to serve. You’ll need 1kg of granny smith apples- they are always the perfect variety to use when cooking.  Make sure your apples are peeled and cubed. Place them in a large pot with boiling water, add your spices and allow to simmer for 10 minutes or until it becomes gelatinized. Transfer to a sterilised jar. If you find you won’t be using it all, you can place some of the Spiced Apple Jam into ziplock bags and store in handy in the freezer.  *Hot Tip: Apple Jam is frequently used in vegan baking to replace butter. Try using it in muffins, cakes or cookies; why not use it to make some delicious vegan gingerbread cookies?!

Once you’ve got your Apple Jam under control- it’s time to get cracking on your pork (yep, pun intended). To get the perfect crisp crackling you’ll need to ensure your pork is completely dry. The night before, take the pork out of the packaging; remove any excess moisture by patting the skin with a paper towel. Place the pork on a plate in the fridge (uncovered) and leave it there overnight. When it’s time to start your roast, using a sharp knife, carefully go over the scoring, making sure not to put your knife all the way through (as soon as you reach the ‘meaty’ part take your knife out).

Now it’s time to work on your soon to be crackling. First, salt the pork skin, roughly 2 tbsp should do, massage it well into the skin, the salt will further help dehydrate the pork and give the crackling its texture. Now drizzle with the olive oil, add a decent amount to the skin and massage it in well with your hands. A very hot oven is also another key step to ensure crisp crackling. Cooking the pork at a temperature around 220°C for 20 minutes will give it just the perfect amount of time to develop crackling. Reduce the temperature down to 180°C and cook for a further 90 minutes (or 40 minutes per kg).  We definitely suggest setting a timer, as we don’t want a burnt Christmas lunch now, do we?

Once your pork is cooked, allow it to cool before carving and serving. Any leftover pork will make the perfect filling for sandwiches the next day. However, we suggest enjoying all the crackling that day as it doesn’t keep well (we’re sure that won’t be a problem!)

Serve up your Roast Pork with the Spiced Apple Jam and enjoy. 

ROAST PORK WITH SPICED APPLE JAM

PREP & COOK TIME: 3 hrs

SERVES: 6-10

INGREDIENTS

SPICED APPLE JAM
1kg apples, cored and diced
1 cup water
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp Morlife Apple Pectin
2 tbsp Morlife Monk Fruit Powder
2 tsp allspice powder
2 tsp nutmeg powder

ROAST PORK
Rolled Pork Loin Roast
Olive Oil
sea salt

STEP BY STEP

1. In a large saucepan, combine apples, water and lemon juice. Cover and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Stir in the pectin, bring to the boil then add the monk fruit powder, allspice and nutmeg.
3. Remove from heat and fill into sterilised jars, leaving 1cm of the top. Place in the fridge to cool.
4. Preheat the oven to 220°C.  To ensure a crunchy cracking, score the pork using a sharp knife. Rub with a generous amount of olive oil and salt.
5. Place pork onto a lined baking tray and roast in the oven for 20 minutes. After the 20 minutes, reduce temperature to 180°C and bake for 90 minutes (or 40 minutes per kilogram).
6. Once cooked, allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with Spiced Apple Jam (at room temperature).

**Time Saver Tip: the Spiced Apple Jam can be made up to 1 week in advance