ROASTED LEG OF PORK
SERVES 6 | 10 MINS PREP | 2 HRS COOK TIME
INGREDIENTS
2kg joint New Zealand pork from the leg, rind scored and well dried
- 1 teaspoon flaky salt
- 4 onions, peeled and halved
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 1 cup well flavoured vegetable stock
- ½ cup apple cider
To serve
- Roasted potatoes
- Steamed green vegetables
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Rub pork rind with a little oil then rub in 1 teaspoon flaky salt. Season pork with freshly ground black pepper.
Place the onions in a roasting dish and sit the pork leg on top. Scatter around the herbs, pour in 2 cups water and place in the oven.
Roast for 30 minutes, then remove from the oven and baste the pork meat only.
Lower the oven temperature to 180°C. Pour a little stock over the pork meat and return to the oven and roast for 1 ½ hours, basting the pork meat every 30 minutes and adding a little stock each time.
Test if pork is cooked by inserting a fine skewer in the thickest part of the roast. The meat juices should run clear. Turn oven off.
Remove pork from the oven, place on a warmed platter and return to the turned-off oven. Pour the juices from the roasting dish into a heatproof jug and allow to settle so you can spoon off the fat.
Place roasting dish over medium heat and pour in the cider. Scrape well to collect all the lovely sticky bits in the dish and add the cooking juices. Bring up to the boil, then pour into a warmed serving jug.
To serve, carve pork into slices across the grain and serve with the gravy, roast potatoes and steamed green vegetables. For easy carving, carve off the crackling in a single piece and divide it up.
