Pork meat does not have tons of flavour and can actually be rather bland. This sweet and tangy honey mustard glaze will magically transform your roast leg of pork into a tender and juicy taste sensation. Add some delicious crispy crackling and you have a meal fit for royalty…
This leg of pork is slow roasted at a low temperature in the oven for several hours to give the meat a succulent and soft texture. Don’t rush it…it’s well worth the wait! To make the crackling crispy, remember that it must be cooked separately, in a hotter oven than the meat.
This recipe for Roast Leg of Pork asks for grainy Dijon mustard, but If you want more bite, you can always use spicy horseradish mustard.
When you remove the roast from the oven, let it sit for 15 minutes before slicing. Serve the roast with additional honey and mustard dressing for some dipping!
The roast pork pairs well with rice or roast potatoes, freshly blanched green beans, glazed carrots and pumpkin fritters for a traditional Sunday feast.
If there are any leftovers the next day, use the roast leg of pork to make sandwiches, tacos, pita wraps or even turn it into a quick stir-fry with some veggies.
CHEF’S TIP
- This glaze also works well with pork chops: Roast them in the oven with the glaze on top so it gets nice and caramelised.
Tender Roast Leg of Pork with Honey Mustard Glaze
Ingredients
- 1 leg of pork
- 60 ml crushed garlic
- 30 ml fresh thyme
- 100 ml butter
- 60 ml Worcestershire sauce
- 15 ml salt
- 5 ml fresh ground pepper
- 100 ml honey
- 40 ml whole-grain mustard
- 250 ml boiling water
Instructions
- Make a paste with the garlic, butter, thyme, salt, pepper and Worcerstershire sauce
- Using a sharp paring knife make 10 small cuts in the soft meat, about 2cm apart
- Add generous amounts of the paste in the incisions using your fingers
- Rub the skin of the pork with the remaining mixture
- Add 250ml boiling water in the bottom of an ovenproof dish
- Place the pork in the dish and cover with a lid or loosely tented tin foil
- Place the covered pork leg in the oven at 140 degrees Celsius for 3 hours
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool
- Pull the skin off the roast
- Cut the skin in strips and put in a separate dish
- Cut a square pattern (score) in the fat layer of the roast, be careful not to cut into the meat
- Mix the honey and mustard and brush the leg of pork with generous amounts of the mixture
- Place the leg back into the oven, increasing the heat to 180 degrees and cook for one hour
- Salt the rind, drizzle with oil and place the skin strips back in the oven for a short time on a higher heat to make crackling.