Lechon de Jamon 1 fresh ham (20-25 lb pork leg, not cured nor smoked) 3 cups Kosher salt 3 tbsp annatto (achuete) powder 10 heads of garlic Basting sauce: mix the following: 5 cloves of garlic, crushed 1 tbsp black peppercorn, crushed 1⁄2 cup lemon juice 2 cups dark rum 2 cups milk 1 cup olive oil Wash the fresh ham in cold water. Dry and rub with salt. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove the salt by rinsing ham with cold water. Dry and rub with annatto powder. Air dry for 2-3 hours on a rack in a roasting pan. Pre-heat oven to 400 F. Roast the ham for 3 1⁄2 - 4 hours basting every 30 minutes. Rotate the pan for even browning. Reduce heat to 325 F after one hour. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. (160-170 degrees). Arrange heads of garlic around the ham in the last hour of roasting. Roast garlic heads will be used for sauce. Suggested sauces: Scotch bonnet pepper sambal: Chop 5 scotch bonnet peppers, 3 shallots, 3 cloves of garlic, 1 small piece of ginger and 5 plum tomatoes. Sauté ingredients in 2 tbsp olive oil. Add 1/4 cup rice vinegar and simmer for 5 min. Season with salt and then pureé in a blender or food processor. (Scotch bonnet peppers or habaneros are the hottest peppers in the world. Wear gloves when chopping the peppers. Birdseye peppers or siling labuyo can be used as a substitute.) Chicken liver and garlic sauce: Extract cooked cloves from the roast garlic heads. Trim and dice 2 lbs chicken liver. Sauté 3 chopped shallots and chicken liver in 3 tbsp olive oil. Add 1/4 cup sherry vinegar, 1/4 cup mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine) and simmer for 3 minutes. Mix in the roast garlic cloves and lechon drippings. Pureé in blender or food processor.
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