The "No-Fuss" Berkshire Pork Leg Roast
Just like my mum used to make!
I don’t know why pork leg isn’t as popular here in Canada as it is in the UK. This versatile cut of pork can be made into cutlets, or cubed for stew or cut into stir-fry - but why not just cook a pork leg roast?
I actually prefer this roast without the bone, it makes it so easy to carve, and the leftovers make great sandwiches. You don’t even need to save it for the weekend, you can have a fuss-free roast midweek in about 90 mins. Just switch on the oven and put the roast in a pan. Yes, it's that simple when you start with a Berkshire pork Roast.
My kitchen window looks out onto the corals, and I had a boneless leg roast defrosted midweek with plans to make some cutlets and have some for a stir-fry. Just as I was about to start cutting up the roast, I saw some pigs had walked over the snowbanks and got into the yard. It isn’t usually a big deal, but we had recently moved a sow and her piglets into the yard, which could potentially mean fights and injuries if any piglets got in the way. Luckily, the babies were smart enough to stay in the shed, so no damage was done, but still, my priority was to get the escapees back in asap and not on cooking tea - even though I was now in a time crunch!
I wasn’t sure how long it would take me to round up the pigs, and I didn’t have time to do anything with the pork except put it in a pan with some water and put it in the oven. I didn’t even preheat the oven; I just put it on at 380 ℉ and put the pork in uncovered.This is just how my mum used to do it; she wasn’t a fan of cooking, yet she always made a cracking Sunday Roast. It was always full of flavour, and she never did anything - she just used good meat.
I was outside longer than expected, and when I came in, I turned the oven up to 420 ℉ (to cook some Yorkshire puddings). I had meant to salt and score the fat on the pork at this time, but didn’t get around to it. By the time I checked the temperature, it was a little too high at 170, but I wasn’t worried - this is the great thing about Berkshire pork - it can stand up to a little overcooking.
I took it out and let it rest while I made the Yorkies, and it was absolutely delicious. The Berkshire pork flavour speaks for itself. It was juicy and delicious, and the gravy was incredible.
Super easy Berkshire Pork Roast
Ingredients
A boneless Berkshire leg roast.
Water - If you have stock, that would be even better.
Directions
Note: If you want to figure out cooking time, I usually do 20 mins per lb and 20 mins extra - and to an internal temp of 160 °F (recommended by Canada Health), you can take it out at about 150 °F because it will carry on cooking once it is out of the oven
If you want to crisp the fat, you can turn up the oven at the end of cooking for about 10 mins.
Put the oven on at 380°F
Put the roast in a skillet - I use a small cast iron pan.
Add The Liquid: I added about an inch of water to the bottom of the pan—not to cook the meat, but to catch those incredible drippings for a natural gravy. ( I added about an inch of water in my small pan and cooked the roast uncovered)
I decided to serve this with Yorkshire puddings. When the roast was nearly finished, I cranked the heat up to 420°F to get my pudding tin screaming hot. I pulled the pork out to rest just as the batter went in.
Gravy - For a lazy gravy, mix a tablespoon of cornflour/cornstarch with a couple of tablespoons of water, then stir this into the pan juices and bring to the boil. I season with soy sauce and pepper, and that is all you need to do for a delicious gravy.
Leftover roast pork is great on sandwiches, and for something extra special, try my gastro pub leftover pork sandwich.