Rub your choice of seasoning over the pork shoulder joint.

Add all the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker (apart from the gravy granules/cornflour).

Place the lid on top and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

At the end of the cooking time, check the pork is cooked through – if you have a meat thermometer, the internal temperature should be 75°C.

Remove the pork joint from the slow cooker and either leave it to rest before slicing or, if you are making pork crackling, brush some oil on the rind and rub some salt over it. Place it in a preheated oven (220°C/Gas Mark 9) for 30 to 45 minutes until the fat is bubbling and crispy. You can also remove the rind from the pork meat and cook it separately while the pork rests.

If you want to make some sauce or gravy from the stock and cooking liquids (I highly recommend you do!), you can either make it directly in the slow cooker bowl. Remove the bay leaves and scrape off any fat from the surface, then stir in some gravy granules or cornflour. Alternatively, strain the liquid into a saucepan to remove more fat and any bits and simmer on low heat; stir in cornflour to thicken it. In each method, taste before serving to see if any extra salt or pepper is needed.