In this Mexican Christmas roast, pork leg is first marinated in hard cider and then roasted in the oven with almonds, prunes, and pineapple.
Preparation Time
30 mins
Cooking Time
5 hr 30 mins
Total Time
6 hr
Calories
329 Calories
Recipe Instructions
Step 1
Pierce pork with a sharp knife, making several slits all over the top of the leg; place into a large bowl.
Step 2
Combine 1 cup cider, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper in a blender; blend until smooth. Pour over pork. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator, 6 hours to overnight.
Step 3
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Remove pork leg from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature.
Step 4
Transfer pork leg to a roasting pan, reserving juices that have collected in the bowl. Mix pineapple juice into the bowl; pour over the pork. Insert almonds and prunes into the slits on top and in the center of the pork. Inject some of the remaining cider into the pork using a baster. Pour any remaining cider on top. Rub lard over the top of the pork and cover with pineapple slices. Cover the roasting pan with aluminum foil.
Step 5
Bake in the preheated oven, basting every 30 minutes with pan juices, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 145 degrees F (63 degrees C), 5 to 6 hours. Remove foil and bake until browned, about 30 minutes more. Remove from oven, cover with foil, and let sit for 10 minutes before carving.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons lard
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 onion, quartered
6 cloves garlic, peeled
12 pounds boneless pork leg
2 cups hard apple cider, divided
15 pitted prunes, sliced
0.5 cup blanched almonds
1.5 (20 ounce) cans pineapple rings, juice drained and reserved
