‘Gruntled’ Premium Hand-Cooked Pork Crackling Review
Gruntled Premium Hand-Cooked Pork Crackling promises a lighter texture thanks to being double cooked. Seasoned with sea salt and enhanced with yeast extract, these pork crackling pieces certainly sound promising – although one unusual discovery nearly put me off before the tasting had even begun.
A Mysterious Red Piece
As soon as I opened the bag, I spotted a small red piece of pork crackling. I have reviewed plenty of pork scratchings over the years, but I have never seen anything quite this colour before.
I have no idea what caused it. It could possibly have been ink from an abattoir identification mark, but without knowing for certain, I decided not to eat it. Thankfully, the remaining pieces looked perfectly normal, so I continued with the review.
Light, Bubbly and Double Cooked
The bag contained a good variety of small and medium-sized pieces, although there were no particularly large chunks.
The skin was light, bubbly and crunchy, just as you would expect from double-cooked pork crackling. This is certainly more delicate than a traditional, hard pork scratching, making it a good option for anyone who prefers a lighter crunch.
A few pieces had a small amount of meat attached. Even this was light and crunchy, rather than hard or chewy. Unfortunately, I could not find any pieces with hairs – always a slight disappointment for a traditional pork scratching enthusiast.
Well-Seasoned Sea Salt Flavour
The sea salt seasoning was nicely balanced. The pieces were salty enough to be satisfying without becoming overpowering, and I could genuinely taste a difference between the sea salt flavour and the more ordinary saltiness found in many bags of pork scratchings.
The yeast extract also added an extra savoury depth. It is an ingredient that often improves the flavour of pork snacks, and it works particularly well here. Overall, these are very tasty pieces of pork crackling.
A Slightly Dusty Finish
The pieces were a little dusty, by which I mean they were coated in tiny crumbs of pork crackling. After eating a piece, I was often left with fine scratching dust on my fingers that needed to be rubbed off.
There were also plenty of small pieces and crumbs at the bottom of the bag. These were slightly saltier and more strongly flavoured than the larger pieces, presumably because more of the seasoning had collected at the bottom.
Why Is Rapeseed Oil Included?
Rapeseed oil appears in the ingredients, suggesting that these pork crackling pieces may not be cooked entirely in their own fat.
Whether the added oil makes them lighter or crispier is difficult to judge without comparing them directly with a similar product made without rapeseed oil. It would certainly make an interesting side-by-side taste test.
The Verdict
Apart from the mysterious red piece, Gruntled Premium Hand-Cooked Pork Crackling proved to be a good-quality pork snack. The pieces were light, bubbly and satisfyingly crunchy, while the sea salt and yeast extract delivered plenty of savoury flavour.
If you prefer lighter pork crackling to hard, dense pork scratchings, this bag is well worth trying.
What Does “Gruntled” Mean?
The name “Gruntled” appears to be a playful opposite of “disgruntled”. It is a clever choice for a pork snack brand, combining the sound of a happy pig with the idea of feeling pleased or content – which is hopefully how you will feel after finishing the bag.
Ingredients
Pork rinds, sea salt, hydrolysed vegetable protein (soya), yeast extract and rapeseed oil.
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