Coles fresh Aussie pork is proudly sow stall-free
We are proud to be the first major Australian supermarket to deliver all of our Coles Own Brand pork sow stall-free and produced without artificial growth promotants.
Coles fresh pork
"Sow stall-free is a good thing. It allows the sows to interact with other sows. They seem happy and content."
What’s sow stall-free?
Following extensive work with our pork suppliers, all of our Coles Own Brand fresh pork is sow stall-free and free from artificial growth promotants.
This was a first for an Australian major supermarket.
Sow stall-free means that pregnant sows (mother pigs) are not kept in small, single-pig stalls for long periods of time during their pregnancy.
Our farmers must ensure their pigs are free to move around in pens and socialise with other mother pigs during their pregnancy.
Rob Moulton, Milne AgriGroup, WA
The choice is yours with our range of free range fresh pork
We know choice is important to our customers. That’s why we also stock Coles Own Brand free range RSPCA Approved fresh pork, grown on selected farms in the Great Southern Region of Western Australia.
All Coles Own Brand free range fresh pork is humanely farmed, with animals raised to high standards, assessed under the RSPCA Approved farming scheme.
Pigs reared to RSPCA Approved standards have space to move, forage, socialise and explore. Sows (mother pigs) are not confined to sow stalls or farrowing crates, instead they have good quality bedding which provides a comfortable area to rest.
In WA’s great southern region, the land provides ideal conditions for farmers like Rob Moulton to raise free range RSPCA Approved pork for Coles (in fact, Coles Brand free-range pork is the only RSPCA Approved fresh pork stocked nationally by a major Australian supermarket).
Rob is just one of many farming families that work with Milne AgriGroup and Coles to raise free range pigs that meet the RSPCA Approved pig standards.
‘The support from Coles and Milne AgriGroup allows us farmers to diversify our business and include pigs into our cropping rotation,’ he says. ‘The Milne AgriGroup free range pig model is where pigs are produced to a high welfare standard. Our farming partners and employees even sign a welfare pledge,’ says Rob.
Milne AgriGroup is an Australian owned company with 25 years of free range farming history and has been farming pigs to the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme Standards since 2010.
This proud partnership was formally recognised in 2018, with the announcement of Milne AgriGroup as Coles Supplier of the Year.
How to make perfect pork crackling
Who doesn't love golden, crunchy pork crackling? We show you exactly how it's done with these must-know steps. It's a great one for entertaining.
How to make roast pork with crackling
If you’re like me, you can’t go past perfect roast pork with that amazing crispy crackling. I love it, and I’m going to show you all the tips you need to make it.
The first thing to do is to get the pork into a roasting pan or a rimmed baking tray.
For the rind to crackle, it’s essential to get it really dry. So, pat it dry with paper towel.
Now check the scoring on the pork. I’m talking about the little incisions that have been made into the rind. You’ll need a sharp knife or a new box cutter for this. Even if the roast comes pre-scored, you’re probably going to want to deepen those cuts and add more. The more scores you make, the crispier the crackling, so don't be scared to cut them quite close to each other. Aim for close parallel lines. Make sure you’re cutting through the skin of the pork and into the fat, but not so deep that you cut into the meat. To check, see if you can spread the cut open like that. This is going to let the fat from the pork render while it cooks.
Next, it’s a good idea to air-dry the pork. This just means putting it in the fridge uncovered to rest and dry out. Overnight is good –aim for at least 12 hours and up to 48 hours. Remember, the rind has got to be beautifully dry for perfect crackling.
Another thing that’s essential for roast pork is salt. Rub sea salt flakes all over the rind that you’ve scored and into the cuts. This isn’t just to add flavour – the salt is going to draw out moisture and dry out the rind as it cooks. That’s what’s going to give you super crispy crackling. So be generous and rub it in everywhere.
Make sure the rack is in the centre of the oven, then preheat it to 150 degrees Celsius or 130 degrees if you’re using a fan-forced oven. You probably know that to get your pork to puff up and crackle, you need to blast it with high heat. Some people do this at the start and then turn the heat down to finish cooking the pork. But I’m not going to do it that way. If you start by slow-roasting the pork, the rind will dry out even more while the meat stays tender and juicy.
Get your pork in the oven and roast it for 2 to 2 and a half hours. The best way to test it is with an instant-read thermometer inserted into the centre – it should read 50 degrees Celsius.
Once you’ve taken the pork out, turn the oven up to 250 degrees. It needs to be crazy-hot for the rind to puff up and crackle. You’ll see there’s a lot fat that has rendered out of the pork and into the roasting pan. Pour that off before you put the pork back in the oven. Then roast it for another 30 minutes.
It’s ready when the rind is crisp and crackling and the internal temperature reaches 60 degrees. This is it. How good does this look, and it smells good too.
All that’s left to do is get it onto a carving board and let it rest for about 15 minutes.
It’s important to rest meat after roasting to keep it succulent and juicy. Then grab a serrated knife to get through that crackling easily and cut the pork into slices, about 2 centimetres thick.
And before you serve it up, get yourself a little taste of that beautiful crackling.
Shop our pork
Learn more about our other growers and suppliers
Coles takes pride in providing our customers with Coles Own Brand 100% Australian fresh beef, with no added growth hormones.
Working with the RSPCA, we offer a range of humanely farmed chickens, grown on farms that must meet strict animal welfare standards and provide an enriched environment for chickens to grow.
We believe you can’t rush quality. So we’ve partnered with expert French baker, Laurent Boillon, to create our Coles Finest 30 Hour Sourdough Range.
Right across the store, from seafood in the deli to frozen fish in the freezers, all of our Coles Own Brand seafood is responsibly sourced – so whatever you buy, you’ll always know you’re making a better choice for our oceans.
