The hind leg of the pig can be labeled fresh ham, fresh picnic, or sometimes pork leg. For the very best flavor, you'll want the shank end of the leg. It's shape is distinctive, narrowing down at one end, with the skin and fat still attached. Click the picture below for a larger view. A great way to feed pulled pork to a lot of people, or two can eat it for a week in different dishes, including BBQ.
How to Roast a Fresh Ham
Long, slow roasting is essential for tenderness and flavor. The best temperature is 325° F to prevent the meat from drying out. It can cook overnight without needing any attention. This will result in a large quantity of pulled pork goodness.
- Fresh ham
- 5 to 8 cloves of fresh garlic
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Method:
- Peel the garlic cloves, and slice into 3 or 4 slices, lengthwise
- Poke holes with a small sharp knife, through the skin and fat into the meat. Place a slice of garlic into each hole.
- Season with salt and pepper
- Roast in a 325°F oven, skin side up, until the meat is falling apart under the skin, 6 to 9 hours, depending on the size of the ham. This is well past the safe internal temperature for pork. The meat will be drawn back from the end of the bone. Let it cool a while before handling.
- Cut away the skin, and any remaining fat, remove the bones, and pull the meat apart. It should just fall apart, not be firm enough to slice.
BBQ Sauce Recipe
While the pork is roasting, the sauce can be be simmering. Sauce needs long, slow cooking, but does need occasional attention to prevent burning. No quantity is given for the sugar or the vinegar, because some like it sweet, and some like it vinegary, that's a matter of taste.
- 1 large onion, roughly chopped
- 2 or 3 gloves of fresh garlic
- 2 quarts tomato sauce
- brown sugar
- apple cider vinegar
- olive oil
Method:
- Put enough oil in the bottom of a large, non-stick skillet. Add the onions and garlic, and cook until the onions are softened and clear.
- Add the tomato sauce, brown sugar, and vinegar. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, for several hours without a lid, stirring as needed, until it is cooked way down, to about 1/3 of the original volume, and deep reddish brown.
Pulled Pork Isn't Just for BBQ
As good as BBQ and BBQ sandwiches are, save some pulled pork for other uses. Bread isn't necessary to eat good roasted pork. Serve it on a plate like any other meat to make a delicious meal. Sandwiches can be made just as creatively with pulled pork as any other meat. It will get eaten up before you can get tired of eating it. Ah, how good it is!
Corinne Shibley - Corinne Shibley studied sculpture in art history and created her own sculpture on the way to a B.A. in Studio Art. "There's something ...
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