Roasting a whole leg of pork, otherwise known as "fresh ham," is something that every cook should do at least once. If you never have, you'll be surprised not only by how easy it is, but also by how delicious the results are. Roast Leg of Pork For the rub: 10-15 cloves garlic, finely chopped 4 Tbs (60 ml) dried sage 2 Tbs (30 ml) dried rosemary 3 Tbs (45 ml) salt 2 Tbs (30 ml) freshly ground pepper A 15-20 lb (7-9 Kg) whole leg of pork, with or without the bone, with or without the skin Combine all the ingredients for the rub in a small bowl. If you remove the skin, trim away the excess fat. If you leave the skin on, puncture it all over - literally hundreds of times - with the tip of a knife or skewer and then make gashes through the skin in a criss-cross manner with a sharp knife. Rub the spice mixture over any exposed meat, including in the gashes, but not on the skin. If you had the bone removed, rub the mixture over the meat on the inside. Place the roast skin side (or fat side) up in a roasting pan and bake in a preheated 450F (230C) oven for 20 minutes. Lower the heat to 325F (165C) cook for about 3 hours before you begin checking the temperature with an instant-read thermometer. Do not baste the roast. Remove the roast from the oven when the temperature in the thickest part of the leg reaches 145F (63C) - the temperature will continue to rise after you remove it. Total cooking time will probably be about 4 1/2 hours. Cover the roast loosely with foil and let rest for at least 45 minutes, or up to 1 1/2 hours. To serve, remove the skin if you cooked it and cut into small pieces. Carve the roast into thick slices and serve with pan gravy if desired. Serves 12 to 18. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
