Dry-Salted Fresh Leg of Pork

Fit for Company, Fit for a Crowd, Family Meal, Great Leftovers:

Not far from Des Moines, some of the best prosciutto produced anywhere on earth (including Italy) is made by artisans with very strict standards. The brand is La Quercia, meaning “the oak,” in Italian, and the artisans are Herb and Kathy Eckhouse. One of the requirements the Eckhouses insist on for the pork they buy is that the pigs live an outdoor life, with room to run and root. When they can, they use heirloom breeds such as Berkshire and Tamworth. Much of the meat comes from pigs raised with organic methods. The result is prosciutto that is faintly sweet, deliciously porky, and silky in texture.
Herb and Kathy’s favorite roast is leg of pork (fresh ham), which Kathy makes extra juicy by rubbing it with a generous amount of salt and fresh sage. This process, ironically, is adapted from the Jewish practice of “koshering” meat. Kathy’s recipe is for a half ham, and she recommends using 1 teaspoon kosher salt per pound of meat or 2 to 3 tablespoons for a 6- to 9-pound half ham. For a 12- to 18-pound whole ham, use 4 to 6 tablespoons. While this roast is a lengthy endeavor, taking 5 days to prepare, most of the prep is hands off, and the results are well worth the wait. The skin comes out crispy and delicious.

Serves 8 to 12

INGREDIENTS:

• ½ bone-in leg of pork (fresh ham), shank or rump end, skin on (6–9 pounds)
• 2–3 tablespoons salt
• 2½ tablespoons chopped fresh sage
• 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Wash the ham and pat it dry. Scrape the skin all over, using a fish scaler or stiff wire brush. Lay the ham on a work surface with the thickest part of the fat up and cut a 1-inch crosshatch pattern into the skin, going about ½ inch into the fat.
2. Combine the salt, 1½ tablespoons of the sage, and 1½ tablespoons of the pepper in a small bowl and sprinkle over all sides of the ham, working it into the gashesof the crosshatch pattern. Place the ham in a 2-gallon zipper-lock bag, press out as much air as possible, seal, and refrigerate overnight.
3. The next day, redistribute the salt by opening the bag and massaging the salt into the meat. Squeeze out as much air as possible from the bag, reseal it, and refrigerate overnight. Repeat the salt redistribution and massaging every day for a total of 4 days.
4. About 16 hours before roasting, remove the ham from the bag. Wipe the ham with paper towels until there is no visible salt and the meat is moist but not wet. Place in a roasting pan with the crosshatch side up and refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 8 hours, or up to 12 hours. This drying helps to make the skin bubble and become crisp.
5. About 4 hours before roasting, remove the roast from the refrigerator and let warm at room temperature.
6. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
7. When ready to roast, sprinkle the meat with the remaining 1 tablespoon sage, the remaining ½ tablespoon pepper, and the garlic and work the herbs and garlic into the slashes created by the scoring. Roast the ham for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325°F, roast for 2½ hours more, and begin checking the internal temperature every 15 minutes with an instant-read thermometer. Remove the roast at 135°F to 140°F. Let rest for 30 to 45 minutes, then carve and serve.

ALTERNATIVE CUTS:

• Boston butt (reduce the salting to 2 days and roast to an internal temperature of 150°F to 160°F) or whole skin-on leg of pork.

COOKS’ NOTE:

• The skin should be bubbly and crispy. If it is not, at the end of the cooking, turn up the oven to 400°F and roast for 10 minutes more.