How does this sound for the perfect pork roast?
- Slow-cooked, tender and juicy pork meat;
- Super crispy, bubbly pork crackling; and
- Served with a delicious homemade gravy made with the pan drippings.
Sunday lunch sorted then…This roasted leg of pork encased in a deliciously crispy crackling, is a guaranteed family feast. The pork roast sit on top of the garlic, onion and bay leaves as it roasts in the oven. Apart from giving the pork a delicious flavour, it also keeps the base of the pork elevated out of the juices of the pan for it to cook evenly (Note: meat submerged in liquid cooks faster than exposed meat).
And last but not least, the garlic and onion add an incredible taste and flavour to the pan juices for that epic gravy!
Granted, this slow-cooking recipe will take about four hours, but don’t try to speed things up by increasing the temperature, and do not skimp on the salt that you rub into the rind.
Let the roasted leg of pork rest for a good 10-15 minutes after it is done while you prepare your gravy. That way all of those juices stay in the meat before it is carved up. The longer you wait, the juicier the meat!
After you’ve pulled off the crackling to get to the meat, slice and serve it up drizzled with the gravy and some crackling, mashed potatoes and peas on the side.
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 kg leg of pork keep the bone and skin on for best flavours
- coriander
- 2 tbsp black pepper and coarse sea salt freshly grounded
- 3 carrots cut in halves
- 1 bulb garlic keep the skin on, brake them into cloves
- 3 red onions cut in halves
- 3 sticks celery halved
- 4 bay leaves
- 600 ml water
- 1/2 bunch fresh sage
- 1/2 bunch flat parsley
- Few sprigs of rosemary
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 220°C.
- Place the pork on a clean work surface and make scores in diamond shapes or small squares a few centimetres apart through the skin into the fat with a sharp knife. Take care not to make it too deep.
- In a mortar, grind the coriander, salt and pepper.
- Rub the salt into the scores, pulling the skin apart to make sure the salt goes in.
- Make sure you brush off the excess salt.
- Turn it over and season with a pinch of salt and pepper again
- Place the pork, skin-side up in a roasting tray on top of the onions, garlic and carrots and place it in the preheated oven.
- Roast for 30 to 45 minutes until the skin of the pork starts to puff, and you can see it turning into crackling
- At this point, turn the heat down to 170°C and cook for about 4 1/2 hours or until the meat on the sides pull apart.
- Drizzle the sage and rosemary with olive oil and sprinkle on the roast. Place the roast back in the oven and let these herbs become crispy (This is optional). Remove the leg to a board, cover with tin foil and allow to rest while you make the sauce.
Gravy
- Place the roasting tray on the hob over medium heat, add the flour and stir it into the pan juices so you get a sticky paste.
- Slowly add a little water until you have a lovely rich sauce, add a little butter if you prefer it to be even richer.
- Pour the contents of the tray into a jug or bowl. Add a bit of mustard and parsley and blitz to a sauce with a stick blender.
- Season the sauce to perfection.
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