Elevate Your Roast Game with This Chef-Approved Pork Recipe
Australian home cooks are about to revolutionize their Sunday roast tradition thanks to an exclusive recipe shared by renowned chef Michael Weldon. The culinary expert, known for his appearances on popular cooking shows including Farm to Fork and Masterchef, has partnered with Coles for their 'Cooking With Coles' series to bring Australians a fresh take on the classic pork roast.
What makes this recipe stand out is the perfect combination of crispy pork skin with a vibrant leek and fennel sauce that captures the essence of seasonal Australian flavours. Weldon, who serves as a Coles ambassador, has designed this dish to be both impressive and achievable for home cooks of all skill levels.
The Secret to Perfect Crispy Skin Pork
The journey to restaurant-quality pork begins two days before cooking. Proper preparation is crucial for achieving that signature crackling that makes this dish extraordinary. The pork leg roast needs to be patted dry and refrigerated uncovered to allow the skin to dry thoroughly.
Scoring the skin with precise, long cuts running down the roast creates the foundation for perfect crackling. Generous seasoning with sea salt at this stage ensures the skin transforms into that desirable crispy texture during cooking.
The herb rub combines aromatic ingredients that infuse the pork with incredible flavour. The mixture includes freshly picked rosemary leaves, thyme, toasted and crushed fennel seeds, chilli flakes for a subtle heat, and bright lemon zest. Combined with olive oil, this creates a paste that gets brushed over the flesh parts of the pork, carefully avoiding the skin to maintain crispiness.
Building Layers of Flavour
The cooking method creates a beautiful harmony of flavours that makes this dish truly special. The base of the roasting dish gets lined with leek cut into 3cm pieces and fennel wedges, which then get elevated with white wine and chicken stock.
The pork roast sits directly on these vegetables, allowing the flavours to meld during the cooking process. The initial high heat of 240 degrees Celsius works to bubble and crackle the pork skin, after which the temperature reduces to 160 degrees to gently cook the meat to perfection.
Once the pork is cooked and resting, the vegetables are kept warm while the roasting juices get transformed into a spectacular sauce. Reduced with additional chicken stock and finished with Dijon mustard and white wine vinegar, this sauce brings all the elements together.
The Perfect Accompaniments
No roast dinner is complete without complementary sides, and Weldon's mustard slaw provides the perfect crisp contrast to the rich pork. The slaw combines green and red cabbage with julienne carrots, spring onion, and thinly sliced green chilli for a fresh, vibrant element.
The dressing balances olive oil with apple cider vinegar, grain mustard, honey, and seasoning to create a tangy yet slightly sweet coating that enhances the fresh vegetables. The dish comes together beautifully when served with the leek and fennel from the roasting pan and your favourite roast potatoes.
This recipe demonstrates how simple techniques and quality ingredients can transform an Australian classic into something extraordinary. The combination of textures and flavours makes it perfect for Sunday family dinners or special occasions when you want to impress guests with your culinary skills.
