Air Fryer Pork Shoulder Joint with Crackling Recipe

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Air Fryer Pork Shoulder Joint with Crackling Recipe

This recipe for for Air Fryer Pork Shoulder Joint keeps things really simple! This favourite pork roasting joint is quick cooked for gorgeously juicy meat and the generous layer of fat air fries into the most deliciously crunchy crackling layer! Plus I've included instructions to make a delicious and simple gravy with the juices.

5 from 2 votes

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 1 30

Resting Time: 15

Total Time: 1 50

Servings

Author Chloe

Equipment

Air Fryer

Silicone Tongs

Measuring Spoons

Mixing Bowl - Extra Small

Ingredients

2 kg Pork Shoulder Joint - with skin for crackling
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 tbsp Sea Salt Flakes

For the gravy

500 ml Water
4 tbsp Cornflour (Cornstarch)
4 tbsp Water
Sea Salt Flakes

Instructions

Things to Consider

Make sure that the joint has plenty of clearance in the air fryer with the drawer shut/lid on/door closed.
The joints have a tendency of expanding as they start to cook so bear this in mind. I was overly optimistic so didn't realise this until later than I should - you will see the change in my step-by-step photographs. Luckily I realised within a minute of starting cooking - you can see the grill marks in this photo where I dealt with the problem.
If you think there might be an issue, remove any string from the joint and unroll it as much as possible. You can also consider removing the crisper rack as I also needed to do.
I suggest cooking this joint crackling side up, then down, then up again. This is for good reason.
If you start with the skin down, I find it then never crackles at all so it needs the initial shock and crisp with the skin facing the heating element.
But if you only cook it right side up, the joint doesn't cook through properly.
The final blast with the skin up is essential for it to be fully crisp and crackled when serving.
It is good to drain the juices/fat several times during the cooking process so I'd be stopping at each of these points to do that during the cooking process anyway.

Air Fry The Pork Shoulder

If your air fryer requires pre-heating, start this setting now.
Thoroughly dry a 2kg Pork Loin Joint.
Use your sharpest knife to score lines in the fat. Make sure to go all the way to the edges. If the pork fat is already scored, chances are it will benefit from better scoring.
Drizzle with roughly 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil and rub all over the joint including the underneath and ends.
Season well with roughly 1 tbsp Sea Salt Flakes. Again, don't miss all the sides and underneath.
Place the pork into the air fryer basket with the skin up. If it is a preheated basket, use 2 forks to lower the pork in so you don't touch the hot metal with your hands.
Air fry for 45 minutes at 180℃/350℉.
Secure the pork with a fork and carefully pour out any juices into a heatproof bowl. Remove the joint entirely to do this if you prefer.
Turn the pork so it is skin side down and air fry for a further 30 minutes at 180℃/350℉.
Repeat the process of removing the pork and draining all the fat/juices released into bowl with the previous lot.
Turn the pork once again so it is skin side up and air fry for a further 15 minutes at 180℃/350℉.
Check the pork is cooked through, you can see this by making a cut and checking that the meat is nearly white in the centre of the thickest part. I do this on the underneath.
If you need to cook for longer, do so at the higher temperature. If the crackling is already fully crackled, turn the pork upside down to do this.
Pour out the remaining juices and fat from the basket.
Allow the pork to rest for at least 15 minutes. You can either leave the pork in the air fryer turned off or wrap it in foil and cover with a towel. Use this time to make the gravy.
Don't forget to add any juices from the resting period to the reserved juices/fat or gravy if it's already made.
Carve into thick or thin slices as preferred and serve. You may find it easier to remove the crackling in one piece and slice this separately. Otherwise carving upside down is the easiest way to get through the crackling without squashing the pork.

To Make The Pork Gravy

Tip all of the drained pork fat and juices into small saucepan and start heating over a high heat.
Add 400ml Water to the pan. Freshly boiled from the kettle will speed up the process.
Mix 4 tbsp Cornflour with roughly 4 tbsp Water until all the cornflour has dissolved.
Once the juices and water have come to the boil, add the cornflour slurry with one hand while whisking with the other.
Continue to boil until the gravy is thickened. If after a few minutes, it is not thick enough for your liking, make up and add more cornflour slurry - add a little at a time. If it is thicker than you would like, add a little water at a time.
Taste the gravy and add Sea Salt Flakes a little at a time until the gravy is flavoursome. Don't be shy, salt is your friend with gravy.
Serve with the sliced pork.

Notes

The air fryer version of this recipe is tested in a 4.7 litre capacity Cosori 4.7L (CAF-L501). I cannot fit a pork shoulder this size in my Cosori Lite 3.8L (‎CAF-LI401S) which has a square(ish) shaped basket of 21cm x 21cm and 24cm on the diagonal. The depth of the basket is more of an important consideration in this case.
Not all models advise preheating is required. Please follow the recommended instructions for your model. Mine has a specific preheat setting which is 4 minutes at 205c.
For this recipe, I could just fit up to a 2.1kg pork shoulder in the basket. But only if I unfurled it and removed my crisper rack - which I am happy to do as it still cooks perfectly. A 1.5kg joint would fit in my air fryer without issue.
As all air fryer models are a little different, you may find that you can fit more or less in at a time.
Required cooking times and temperatures can also vary between models and brands. If you know that your air fryer runs a little hotter than most recipes suggest, use a lower temperature. And vice versa. Equally if you find that food cooks more quickly in your machine than instructions usually state, reduce the cooking time (or check it earlier) and vice versa.

Nutrition (Approx)