Christmas meals can be a problem if you are expecting a lot of guests and you are a little tired of always preparing turkey. First of all, it is about not getting ruined with expensive delicacies that multiplied by the number of diners they generate a voluminous bill and on the other hand it is about making easy-to-cook recipes. Cooking a leg of ham is a possibility. Let's understand that this is not a gammon, that is, the leg has not been previously cured.
INGREDIENTS (8/12 diners)
- A large pig leg of at least 3-4 kg (between 6 and 9 pounds)
- 200 grams (7 oz) of honey
- 200 grams (7 oz) mustard
- Cognac
- Salt
- Pepper
First of all we are going to prepare the leg with the glaze. To do this, we rub the leg with salt and pepper in abundance so that it is well covered.
Next we mix the honey with the mustard and if it is too thick we add a glass of cognac (people usually mix the alcohol anyway because it gives the glaze a special flavor). This mixture will be the glaze and with it the entire exterior of the leg should be painted with a brush.
We place the leg on a tray with the open cut of meat - where it used to be attached to the rest of the deceased pig - placed side down. This way we avoid the loss of internal humidity. It is also convenient to cover the leg with aluminum making a kind of tent so that it touches the least and we do not destroy the glaze.
We preheat the oven to 180 degrees (356 F). We introduce the leg and calculate 20 minutes of cooking for each kilo (2.2 pounds). If the leg weighs 3 kg (6.6 pounds), we will need an hour. Every twenty minutes it is important to collect the broth from the tray and bathe the meat with it. In addition, we glaze again with the mustard, honey and cognac mixture also every twenty minutes.
If you have a cooking thermometer, the leg will be well done when internally it reaches 80 degrees C / 176 F (this is the optimum cooking point for any pork roast). At that time you remove the aluminum foil, give it a new glaze and connect the oven grill so that it is a beautiful golden color.
A lot of attention to this process because it can be blackened, so do not take your eye off it. Five minutes should be enough. And ready.
It is removed, cut into fillets and can be served hot or cold, to taste. Do not worry that no one will be left hungry.