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© Copyright 1995-2023, Clay Irving <clay@panix.com>, Manhattan Beach, CA USA
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Recipe from: Peter MacLeod
2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
6 chiles anchos, seeds and membranes removed
8 chiles pasillas, seeds and membranes removed
¼ onion
⅓ cup cider vinegar
10 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 whole cloves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 2 inch stick cinnamon
3 whole allspice
2 tablespoons coarse salt
1 leg of pork, about 9 pound
2 tablespoons lard
In a small saucepan, heat 1 cup of the orange juice until warm. Toast the chiles on a comal or iron skillet, then let them soak in the orange juice for 20 minutes. Transfer the chiles and orange juice to a blender, add the onion and the vinegar and purée. Set aside.
In a mortar or a molcajete, grind the garlic, thyme, cloves, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, allspice, and salt. Add the pureed chiles and stir well. Add enough orange juice to dilute the mixture until it has the consistency of yogurt.
Use a fork to pierce the leg of pork all over. Transfer to a baking pan or dish, cover with the chile-orange sauce and refrigerate, covered, for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. Turn occasionally.
Two hours before roasting, remove the leg of pork from the refrigerator and smear the meat lighly with the lard. Let stand in the sauce at room temperature.
Prehat the oven to 350°F. Cover the leg of pork with aluminum foil and roast for 2 hours, basting periodically with pan juices. Turn the meat over, cover and roast about 1 more hour. When the meat can be easily pierced with a fork, in 2-3 hours, turn the oven temperature up to 450°F, uncover the meat and roast for 5-10 minutes or until browned, being careful not to let it burn. Let stand for 15 minutes before slicing. [I barbequeue it on the Weber kettle instead, with the coals around the side. It takes 2-3 hours.]