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Porchetta

(recipe, Matthew Smith)

Ingredients

1. 1 whole leg of pork or fresh ham with skin intact
2. (Pork/ham should be cured in salt water for one week in the refrigerator, 1 cup salt per gallon of ice-cold water, changed daily.)
3. 1 cup toasted fennel seeds
4. 1 Tbsp. crushed red pepper flakes
5. 8 peeled garlic cloves
6. 1 Tbsp. kosher salt
7. 1 cup fresh lemon juice, divided
8. 1½ cups olive oil, divided
9. 2 shallots, finely diced
10. 4 cups shelled fresh field peas

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
2. Remove the pork leg or ham from brine and let dry. Cut slices through the skin and fat - just to the meat, about one inch apart, all the way down to the shank. In a food processor, place fennel seeds, red pepper, garlic and salt - pulse until roughly chopped. Press generously into slits cut into the leg of pork. Set aside.
3. Mix ½ cup lemon juice with 1 cup olive oil and reserve. Place leg of pork or ham in a roasting pan and cook for 45 minutes to one hour. Turn oven temperature down to 225 degrees. Pour the reserved lemon juice/olive oil mixture over the meat and continue to cook for about 12 hours. Check frequently after 11 hours - the meat should fall off the bone.
4. Blanch the field peas in salted boiling water for about five minutes, then place into an ice bath. In a bowl, whisk remaining ½ cup lemon juice with diced shallots and remaining ½ cup olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Drain peas and mix in the vinaigrette. Serve meat with pea vinaigrette.