3kgboneless leg of pork joint(ensure joint has thick layer of skin)
1tspsea salt
Cranberry Stuffing
800gsmoked streaky bacon(approx 4 thick slices or 6 thin slices of bacon)
100gdried cranberries
2banana shallots(finely diced)
3clovesgarlic(crushed)
5sprigs fresh thyme(woody stalks removed)
2tspfennel seeds(lightly crushed)
1tspground cinnamon
1tspground ginger
salt & pepper
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 250C/230CFan.
Making the cranberry stuffing:
Warm a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the smoked streaky bacon, dried cranberries, diced shallots, garlic, thyme leaves and lightly crushed fennel seeds to the pan and saute gently for 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
Once the stuffing has cooked through, add in the ground cinnamon and ginger, stir for a further minute. Check the taste before adding salt and ground black pepper and then set aside to cool.
Top tip! It is important to season the stuffing only once it is cooked and you have tasted it. You need to check how much salt the smoked bacon added to the mix.
Stuffing the boneless pork leg:
Start to prepare the pork leg by scoring the skin. Firstly using a very sharp Stanley knife, puncture the skin all over with a stab like motion, taking good care not to allow the knife to penetrate the meat, only the skin and fat. You can also score the skin into 1 inch squares as it usually done by the butcher (or have your butcher do this for you).
Using a very sharp knife, carefully cut through the layer of fat, close to the meat, but not cutting into the meat! Cut right through the layer of fat and skin, but don't take the skin completely off - leave one side still attached to the joint of meat. This will form a flap of skin on top of the meat, where you will place the stuffing.
Pull back the flap of skin and fat and spoon the stuffing in a layer across the meat, leaving an area of 2.5cm around the edge free of stuffing.
Now pull the flap of skin back over the meat and tuck it back around the meat to form a secure roll. Tie the roast back together, securing it with string.
Pop a roasting rack on the bottom of a roasting tin and place the pork joint on top of the rack.
Rub the skin with 1tsp salt and crack over some black pepper.
Roasting the pork:
Place the pork roast the preheated oven at 250C/230CFan for 30 minutes to sear the meat and crisp the skin.
Then turn the oven down to 180C/160CFan and cook the roast, allowing 45 minutes per kilo (so for a 3kg piece of pork approximately 2 hours 15 minutes). Check the internal temperature at 2 hours and continue to check regularly thereafter until the roast is cooked.
Leg of pork is a fairly lean cut of meat so you don't want the pork to overcook and dry out!
The roast is cooked when the internal temperature of the meat reaches 72-75C.
Achieving the best crackling:
Turn the oven to grill setting on high, approximately 220C. Once the grill is hot, place the pork under and allow the crackling to finish crisping up. DO NOT LEAVE UNATTENDED at this point! This is a crucial step if you want extra crispy crackling and only takes minutes to ruin. You will see the bubbles start to form on the skin.
Resting the pork:
When the crackling is golden and has bubbled up remove from oven, allow the joint to rest for 20-30 minutes before cutting and serving. Do not cover the meat as you don't want to allow moisture into the crackling as this will soften it.
Notes
This is the most simple method of stuffing a roast leg of pork and is ideal for novice cooks. However, if you get your butcher to further cut out and flatten the leg, you can unroll the joint and stuff the centre instead before rolling it back up again and securing with string.
Nutrition Facts
Roast Leg of Pork with Bacon & Cranberry Stuffing
Amount Per Serving
Calories 768Calories from Fat 396
% Daily Value*
Fat 44g68%
Saturated Fat 14g88%
Cholesterol 242mg81%
Sodium 911mg40%
Potassium 1311mg37%
Carbohydrates 11g4%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 78g156%
Vitamin A 53IU1%
Vitamin C 2mg2%
Calcium 32mg3%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
• Please note that the nutrition information provided above is approximate and meant as a guideline only •
Course : Main Course
Cuisine : British
Keyword : roast dinner, roast pork, roasted, roasted leg of pork, stuffed leg of pork