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To Boil a Leg of Pork

A boiled leg of pork seasoned with coarse sea salt, simmered for several minutes per pound.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 3 ingredients
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To Boil a Leg of Pork

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. Salt the leg of pork for eight to ten days.

  2. Before cooking, weigh the pork and soak it in cold water for 30 minutes.

Boil

  1. Boil the pork, allowing 15 minutes for each pound plus an additional 30 minutes.

  2. Skim the surface as soon as it starts boiling and continue to skim frequently.

  3. Ensure there is enough water for boiling.

Finish

  1. Save some broth to make pea soup.

  2. Optionally, boil the pork in a floured cloth for a delicate appearance.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.

Explore the science

What each ingredient does

Leg of pork
Provides the meat that salting and slow boiling turn tender and moist.
Coarse sea salt
Draws out moisture and seasons the meat during the long cure.

The step that matters

Skim the surface as soon as it starts boiling. Foam and coagulated particles rise to the surface during boiling. Removing them early keeps the broth clear and stops impurities from clouding it or tainting the flavor.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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