PORK ROAST

3-5kg leg of pork salt

2-litre (8c) ginger ale

1-litre (4c) gingerand-chilli-infused rooibos tea 1 onion, sliced zest of 1 lemon, sliced into strips 4cm-piece fresh ginger, sliced into slivers

GLAZE

80ml ( ₁ ⁄ 3c) apricot jam

30ml (2T) preserved ginger pieces, chopped (optional)

TO SERVE

Oven-roasted potatoes, pumpkin slices, parsnips, mealies and green beans

1 Remove the skin from the leg, score it and salt it on the fatty side. Put the skin on a baking sheet and keep aside. Score the fatty layer and season with salt. 2 Put the meat in a large pot and add the ginger ale and rooibos tea.

3 Add the onion, lemon zest strips and slivers of ginger.

4 Bring to a slow boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 25 minutes per 500g (about 2½ hours for 3kg). Remove from the stock and put the leg of pork on a rack in a roasting pan.

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

5 Glaze Mix the jam with the preserved ginger pieces and rub onto the leg of pork. Roast for 30-40 minutes until nicely browned on the outside but still juicy inside and until the juices run clear when a testing skewer is inserted into the thickest part of the meat. Put the skin and vegetables in the oven at the same time.

6 The skin is ready when it’s totally crispy and easily breaks into pieces.

7 Reduce some of the stock to make a flavoursome gravy to serve with the leg of pork. It will thicken with some flour, if needed.

8 Put the leg of pork on a large serving platter, arrange the vegetables around the piece of meat and scatter the crackling on top. Serve with the gravy.