16 lb Fresh pork Ham

I would post this at rec.food.cooking There is at least one person over there who considers himself an expert on fresh hams.

While some people go crazy over a big slab of ham, I prefer the "fresh ham" or leg of pork. Here are two wonderful recipes:

• Exported from MasterCook *

Roasted Fresh Ham with Orange Glaze

Recipe By : Saveur, December 1999. Serving Size : 20 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Dinner Main Dish Meats Pork

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ -------------------------------- FOR THE HAM: 1 fresh ham on the bone -- (15 to 20lb) 6 cloves garlic -- peeled and sliced (6 to 7) Salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 lbs shallots -- peeled 2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice FOR THE GLAZE: 1 cup orange marmalade 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 1 tbsp dijon mustard

1. For the ham: Place oven rack in lower third of oven, then preheat oven to 325°. Put ham in a large heavy roasting pan. Trim off tough outer skin, then score the fat in a crosshatch pattern. Make small incisions all over the ham with the tip of a paring knife, inserting a piece of sliced garlic in each slit as you go. Rub ham with salt and pepper to taste. Roast in oven for 2 hours, then remove ham and set aside.
2. For the glaze: Combine orange marmalade, orange juice, and mustard in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Brush entire surface of ham generously with orange glaze. Scatter peeled shallots around ham in bottom of roasting pan, add orange juice, then return to oven to roast. Continue to baste ham every 30 minutes. Roast ham until browned and internal temperature reaches 170° on a meat thermometer in thickest part, 3-4 hours more.
4. Transfer ham to a cutting board or platter, cover loosely with foil, and allow to rest for 20 minutes. Carve slices perpendicular to the bone and serve with roasted shallots and pan juices.

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NOTES : Fresh uncured ham makes a wonderful holiday roast: It's a good, big cut for a party, tender and marbled but not fatty. Oranges, with their clean, citrusy spark, are an excellent foil for the pork's rich taste.

• Exported from MasterCook *

Roast Leg of Pork with Fresh Herbs and Fennel Seeds

Recipe By : Bruce Aidells, Food and Wine Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Dinner Main Dish Meats Pork

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ -------------------------------- 3 tablespoons kosher salt 2 tablespoons fennel seeds 2 tablespoons chopped basil 2 tablespoons chopped thyme 2 tablespoons chopped garlic 2 tablespoons coarsely ground pepper 1 tablespoon chopped sage 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary 2 teaspoons ground coriander 1 20lb whole leg of pork with skin -- partially boned, fat trimmed to 1/3 inch

1. In a mini food processor, combine the salt, fennel seeds, basil, thyme, garlic, pepper, sage, rosemary and coriander. Process to a paste. Spread one third of the herb paste in the pocket where the hip and leg bones were. Using cotton twine, tie the roast in 5 places to give it a neat shape. With a sharp knife, make 3 dozen slits through the skin and fat all over the top of the roast. Rub the remaining herb paste all over the surface of the roast and into the slits. Refrigerate the roast overnight. Remove the meat from the refrigerator 2 hours before roasting.
2. Preheat the oven to 450°. Put the meat on a rack set in a large roasting pan and roast in the lower third of the oven for 20 minutes. Turn the pan around. Reduce the oven temperature to 325° and roast the meat for 3 1/2 hours longer, turning the pan again after 1 1/2 hours. Turn the pan one last time and roast the meat for 15 minutes longer, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 145°. If the skin isn't crisp, turn the heat up to 400° for the last 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, cover loosely with foil and let rest for 30 to 45 minutes; the final temperature will be 150° to

155°. Carve the roast and serve with the degreased pan juices.

SERVINGS: 12, WITH LEFTOVERS

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NOTES : This behemoth of a cut makes a spectacular holiday roast that won't break anyone's budget. To make carving easier, be sure to ask the butcher to remove the aitch bone (hip bone) and the main leg bone, leaving the shank bone intact. The pork is best when seasoned and refrigerated overnight before roasting, so plan accordingly. WINE RECOMMENDATION: A dry, aromatic, spicy-fruity Gewürztraminer will accent the salty, garlicky flavors of the pork. Try either the 1997 Fetzer Mendocino County Dry Reserve from California or the 1998 Domaine Lucien Albrecht from Alsace.

That's good advice.

I've never cooked a fresh one, but a friend who does this says to poke lots of slits in it, all over, and put a sliver of garlic in each slit. A little salt, and that's it, he says!