The roast dinner staple Curtis Stone says we’re not making the most of
Five years ago, the thought of humble food staples like cottage cheese, Greek yoghurt and tinned sardines being social media sensations and flying off supermarket shelves would have been laughable.
Yet here we are. At this point, the next ‘It’ ingredient is anyone’s guess, though Curtis Stone has a suggestion: pork crackling. Yes, as in the deliciously crunchy roast lunch accompaniment.
Curtis Stone says pork crackling deserves a little more hype as a versatile ingredient. Getty
“Pork crackle is so beloved in Australia, and it’s not in other places,” the US-based Aussie chef told nine.com.au.
“You can’t even buy skin-on pork in America, unless you go to a specialty butcher like mine.”
While we mainly associate crackling with roast meals, Stone says it’s more versatile than we realise, and could be deserving of a moment in the foodie spotlight.
The Aussie chef served crackling as a crudite at Coles’ recent Christmas range preview. Supplied
“You can use that crackle in lots of ways, [like] instead of the crouton in a salad,” he said.
Another option is serving strips of pork crackle as a crudite, as Stone did at Coles’ preview event for its 2026 Christmas ranges – providing an unexpected cracker alternative and vessel for your dips.
Crackle might seem an unlikely contender for the next ingredient trend, but Stone says there’s precedent.
“Chicken skin has had its moment, where we’re putting [it] in between two sheet trays, baking it in the oven and then breaking it up,” he said.
Stone is based in the US, but the moment he arrives back in Australia, he’s on the hunt for one iconic bakery treat. Getty
“I made an onion jam the other day, and instead of putting bacon in the onion jam I put broken up chicken skin, and it holds its crunch.
“That made me think about pork crackling. I was like, ‘Maybe pork crackling would be delicious in a sandwich’.”
Pork crackling isn’t the only Aussie food favourite Stone enjoys when he returns Down Under from his base in the US.
The chef’s first culinary port of call after touching down on our shores is an iconic bakery classic.
“I love a good sausage roll, you don’t get them anywhere else,” he said, adding that he also enjoys “a good pie, a dim sim, all the bad stuff”.
