Make sure the skin of the pork is well scored. Salt the skin well and leave it to sit for several hours. You can do this the day before and leave the roast uncovered in your fridge overnight. If you chill it overnight, ensure you bring it up to room temperature before you start the rest of the preparation.

Turn your oven on to heat to 240 celcius

slice the onions and pears into slivers and layer on the bottom of deep roasting pan. Make the shape and size of the mound roughly the same size as the bottom of your pork roast.

Lightly crush the juniper berries and cinnamon. Spread them and the other spices and sugar over the pear and onion. Sprinkle a little salt over it.

Drizzle a little olive oil over the pear/onion/spice layer.

Use paper towels to remove the moisture drawn out of the pork by the salt. Wipe the skin clean and then LIGHTLY resalt it including the meat surface. Grind black pepper over it.

Place the pork on top of the pear and onion layers.

Pour your water or wine into the base of the roasting pan. Don't pour it over the meat.

Place the roasting pan into the hot oven and leave for 20 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and either cover it with a tight fitting lid or cover it well with several layers of tinfoil.

Turn the oven down to 140 celcius and return the pan to the oven.

Cook for around 7.5 - 8 hours. Remove the pan from the oven every 1.5 hours or so, uncover the meat and baste it with the juices/water/wine mixture. Re-cover and return to the oven.

At the end of the cooking period, remove the pan from the oven and turn the oven heat up to 210 - 220 celcius.

Remove the pork from the pan and drain the collected juices, pear and onion into another dish. Put the pork back into pan with the cut side of the meat downward so all the skin is exposed. Do NOT cover it. Place the pan back into the hot oven and leave for 1 to 1.5 hours.

Put a sieve over a pot and drain the juices/pear/onion into it. Use the back of spoon and press the onion and pear through the sieve. This will be the basis of your sauce.

Check the pork. You are looking for the skin to become browned and crisp. The areas where the skin was in contact with the pear/onion layers may blacken. Don't worry about it.

Remove the pork from the oven and cover lightly with tinfoil and leave it to rest for 20 minutes or so.

Skim the fat from the surface of your sauce base. Put on to an element, bring it to the boil and reduce it by one third.

Remove the skin from the pork and cut into strips (you'll probably need to use scissors for this). Carve the pork and place on a platter with the crackling. The pork should be tender enough to almost fall apart.

Turn the sauce onto high heat and ensure it is boiling furiously. Add 1 tablespoon of COLD butter and stir in quickly. This should thicken the sauce.

Serve!