Step 1 of 6

Dry the skin, and mean it

Take the pork out of any wrapping the night before if you can and leave it uncovered in the fridge. Just before cooking, blot the skin over and over with paper towels until no more moisture comes away.

— A hairdryer on cold, held over the skin for a minute, is not a joke. Dry skin is the entire difference between crackling and leather.