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Roast Leg of Pork Recipe

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Roast leg of pork recipes are popular in Ireland for large family dinners.
Roast leg of pork recipes are popular in Ireland for large family dinners.
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“My Irish Table,” by Cathal Armstrong and David Hagedorn, offers 130 delicious, simple and honest recipes from the Emerald Isle.
“My Irish Table,” by Cathal Armstrong and David Hagedorn, offers 130 delicious, simple and honest recipes from the Emerald Isle.
10-12 servings SERVINGS

Ingredients

  • Pork:

    1 (12-pound) skin-on hind leg of pork, preferably Kurobuta or Berkshire
    4 yellow onions, peeled and quartered
    4 large sprigs fresh rosemary
    1 head garlic, halved crosswise
    1 1/2 cups hard cider, such as Magner’s brand

    Applesauce:

    8 apples, such as Bramley, Ida Red, Granny Smith, or Pink Lady, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped
    1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
    3/4 cup sugar

Directions

  • Prep the roast: Preheat the oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Cutting crosswise, score the skin of the pork at 1/2-inch intervals. Do not cut through the flesh. Scatter the onions, rosemary, and garlic in the bottom of a roasting pan large enough to hold the meat. Pour the cider over the vegetables. Set a rack in the pan and place the meat skin-side up on top of it.Roast the pork: Bake the meat for about 4 hours (allow 20 minutes per pound), until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat (but not touching the bone) registers 165°F. Check the pan often to make sure there is enough liquid in it to keep the vegetables from burning. Whenever there isn’t, add a cup or two of water.While the pork is roasting, make the applesauce: In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the apples, vinegar, and sugar for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender. The applesauce will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.Make the jus: When the roast is done, transfer it to a cutting board, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and let it rest for 30 minutes. Strain the pan juices into a saucepan and remove the fat from them — there will be a lot of it. Keep the jus warm over low heat until ready to serve.Present the dish: Pull the crackled skin off the roast, breaking or cutting it into small pieces. Slice the roast in the same direction you scored it and arrange the slices on a serving platter, surrounded by the pieces of crackled skin. Transfer the jus to a gravy boat or small pitcher. Spoon the applesauce into a serving bowl. Serve the meat warm, placing a healthy spoonful of applesauce.This excerpt has been reprinted with permission from My Irish Table by Cathal Armstrong and David Hagedorn and published by Ten Speed Press, 2014. Purchase this book from our store: My Irish Table.
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