Brine Solution
1 c. granulated white sugar
1 c. sea salt
12 pcs. juniper berries
12 pcs. cloves
3 bay leaves
1 whole garlic cut across the globe
1-1/2 gal. water
Place 1/2 gal. water inside a clean bucket.
Add sugar and salt. Stir with wooden spoon untill both salt and sugar completely dissolve.
Add the rest of the ingredients and water. Stir well.
Add the leg of Pork in the brine. [A whole leg of pork should be brined for 48 to 72 hours].
Be sure to place something heavy on top of pork or it will stay floating. It need to be at the bottom of bucket to absorb the brine solution.
This pork leg was brined for 3 days.
one 8 -1/2 fresh leg of pork, ordinarily called Pork Ham cut. for roasting.
Roast Pork:
Preheat oven to 400 degree F.
Take pork out of the brine. wash thoroughly 3 times.
Pat dry with clean cotton towel.
Massage olive oil on pork skin to prevent from drying.
Place roasting rack and pan in the oven.
Place pork leg on roasting rack, meaty part next to rack.
Pour 1 cup hot water. [prevent oil from burning and smoke in the kitchen]
Roast for 1 hour.
Reduce heat to 350 degree F.
Turn roast, skin next to the rack. meaty part exposed to the heat.
Roast for 1 hour. Add more hot water to the pan if needed to prevent smoke.
Increase oven temp to 400 degree F.
Turn roast with the skin up. roast for 30 mins.
After 30 mins., watch closely to prevent burning the skin. cook another 15 mins.
Take roast from oven. allow to "sit" for 15 mins. before slicing.
internal temperature of roast pork is 180 deg. F, juices are clear.
another project done, but more test needed to achieve a much better product.
