Boneless pork leg: fire, fennel & crispy skin heaven

A perfect summers day spent cooking a boneless pork leg with a fennel rub.

  • Prep Time: 5 mins but overnight or 2 hrs before drain out the skin
  • Cook Time: 1.5hrs (depending on the size of the pork)
  • Serves: 6
  • Difficulty: not too tricky
  • Ideal for: weekend meal, barbecue

Boneless pork leg

There’s something satisfying about a nice piece of pork roasting over flames, skin crackling, fat rendering, and that sweet smell of garlic and fennel wafting about. 

No fuss, just fire, meat, and a good bit of seasoning.

And when it comes to pork, I think boneless pork leg is an underrated cut. 

It’s leaner than shoulder, cooks beautifully over heat, and when you do it right, you get cracking crackling and juicy meat with none of the chew.

But before we get into the rubs and fire, let’s talk about the meat itself.

Why high welfare pork matters

If you’re in the UK, you’ve probably seen a pack of pork labelled “Red Tractor” or “Outdoor Bred” and thought, “That’s probably fine.” 

But here’s the thing: not all labels are equal.

Industrial pork production

The kind that churns out cheap meat — often involves cramped conditions, routine antibiotics, and animals that never see daylight. 

It’s not nice to think about, but it’s important. 

Not only for welfare reasons, but because that stress and poor nutrition show up in the meat: it’s watery, flavourless, and often dry when cooked.

High welfare pork

Now compare that with high welfare pork — outdoor reared, free range, organic, rare breed. 

These pigs root around, wallow, live like pigs should. 

And the meat? Deep in colour, full of flavour, with a proper layer of fat that turns to gold when cooked right. 

It costs more, yes — but you’re paying for quality, not hidden costs in suffering or antibiotics.

Find a good butcher, ask where the pork comes from, and choose better when you can. (I used Freybors online butcher)

Less often, but better. That’s the way forward.

How to get crispy pork skin every time

Let’s talk crackling. The holy grail, right?

There are loads of tips flying around — some useful, some mad. Here’s what actually works:

Dry the skin. I mean really dry it. Pat it down with kitchen paper and leave it uncovered in the fridge overnight if you’ve got time.

Score it. With a sharp knife make shallow cuts across the skin as this will help the fat render and the crackling puff.

Salt it well. Get coarse sea salt into the scores — it draws out moisture and seasons the skin.

Blast of heat. Start your cook at a high temperature (or directly over flames if you’re cooking over fire), then drop it to finish slowly.

No oil needed. The fat in the skin will do all the work. 

If you’re over fire, the crackling will take on a smokier edge. Glorious stuff.

Cooking boneless pork leg over fire

Cooking over fire cooking is fun.

It takes some patience and time but in the summer months, what a perfect way to spend an afternoon.

Because the leg is relatively lean, the trick is moderation and movement. 

You don’t want it sitting over raging coals — indirect heat is your friend. A good method is:

1. Sear the pork. skin side down over high heat to start crisping it.

2. Move it to a cooler part of the grill (or offset in a firepit).

3. Cover with a lid or foil and let it cook low and slow.

4. Finish with another blast of heat if needed to puff up the crackling.

A meat thermometer’s your mate here — aim for about 63–65°C internal temp, then rest it well. It’ll rise a few degrees and stay juicy.

The rub: fennel, garlic, salt & pepper

You don’t need a long spice cupboard list to make pork sing. This rub is a classic for a reason.

Fennel seed brings sweetness and a gentle aniseed hit that complements pork beautifully.

Garlic adds earthy depth — smash it into a paste or microplane it to really release the oils.

Salt & pepper keep things grounded and bring it all together.

Mix it with a little oil if you like, rub it all over (under the skin too, if you’ve scored it well), and let it sit for an hour or so before cooking.

Simple. Effective. And it smells outrageous when it hits the heat.

So, if you’re firing up the grill this weekend or just fancy a bit of slow-cooked satisfaction, go grab a good bit of boneless pork leg give it the fennel-garlic treatment, and cook it with care — preferably outdoors with a drink in hand.

Happy cooking — and here’s to crackling that sings, pigs that lived well, and fire-cooked feasts done right.