Mr Porky’s Revenge
About this build
A large sheet of pork rind is salted, folded and oven-baked into a giant pork scratching. The archive records the original savoury experiment.
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Notes from the contributor
Selected passages from the original account. Quantities may describe shopping, tests or the final build; follow the linked passage for its full context.
We folded the skin, so that is would achieve the curled effect witnessed in regular pork scratchings. Instead of the traditional method of deep frying, we opted for baking for 2 hours, at gas mark 4. When the pork is fried on boiling oil, the bubbling which takes place momentarily doubles the volume of the oil, which is potentially lethal, you see.
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One kindly butcher One handful of salt Three tablespoons of cooking oil One piece of pork skin (60*cm by 50 cm) Enough lager for a decent afternoon A large roasting tin
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Mr Porky’s Revenge: the archived recipe
Condensed from the original account by John, Dougie and Rich, published 2006-11-19. The quantities and method are the contributors’; this is not a new kitchen test.
Ingredients recorded
- One piece of pork skin, 60cm by 50cm, from a kindly butcher
- One handful of salt
- Three tablespoons of cooking oil
- A large roasting tin
The account lists the salt and oil but does not say how they were applied to the skin, and the lager in the ingredient list was for the makers. The pork skin is given by its dimensions, 60cm by 50cm, not by weight.
Method recorded
- Fold the skin so that it will take on the curled shape of a regular pork scratching.
- Instead of deep-frying, bake it in the large roasting tin for 2 hours at gas mark 4; the account warns that frying skin in boiling oil momentarily doubles the oil’s volume, which is potentially lethal.
- Take the finished scratching to the pub; the makers measured theirs at 10cm high and 20cm across, about ten times an average scratching.
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The original account
This is our master plan which dreamt up over some ale in our local pub, the home of inspired thinking. What could we pimp to make the perfect accompaniment to a cold pint of beer?
We settled on our favourite pub snack, the pork scratching.
We used:
One kindly butcher
One handful of salt
Three tablespoons of cooking oil
One piece of pork skin (60*cm by 50 cm)
Enough lager for a decent afternoon
A large roasting tin
We folded the skin, so that is would achieve the curled effect witnessed in regular pork scratchings. Instead of the traditional method of deep frying, we opted for baking for 2 hours, at gas mark 4. When the pork is fried on boiling oil, the bubbling which takes place momentarily doubles the volume of the oil, which is potentially lethal, you see.
The end result was a monster nibble, standing at 10cm high, and 20cm across. We calculate this to be ten times the size of the average scratching. It also contains enough saturated fat to be classified as dangerous weapon, we think.
We took the finished pork scratching to it’s natural habitat (the pub), where after several drinkers had tried it, a gentleman declared that he would like to eat the entire thing, which he promptly did. He has not been seen since.
