Cuban Lechon Asado (Roasted Fresh Ham)

This is a great recipe found in Steve Raichlen's cookbook 'Miami Spice'. The pork roast is wonderful. Easy to make. VERY flavourful. Leftovers are great in wraps!

• Ready In: 2 hrs 15 mins
• Serves: 10-12

Ingredients

• 1 (8 lb)  fresh ham (pork leg or butt)
• 1  head garlic, broken into cloves, peeled and minced
• 1  tablespoon salt
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1⁄2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1⁄4 teaspoon  bay leaf powder
• 1  tablespoon olive oil
• 1  cup  fresh sour  orange juice (seville) or 1  cup lime juice
• 1⁄4 cup dry sherry
• 2  large onions, thinly sliced

Directions

1. The day before you plan to serve this dish, trim the excess fat off the pork leg; make shallow slits all over the pork, using the tip of a knife; mash the garlic, salt, oregano, cumin, pepper, bay leaf and olive oil to a paste in a mortar; rub this mixture all over the roast, forcing it into the slits; combine the sour orange juice, sherry, and onions in a small bowl; place the roast in a large, heavy plastic bag; add the sour OJ mixture, making sure that the whole roast gets covered with the mixture; refrigerate and marinate the roast in the bag overnight, turning occasionally during the time.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Drain the roast, and pat dry, reserving the marinade; place it in a lightly oiled, nonreactive, heavy roasting pan; cook the roast for 1 hour, turning once or twice to brown it on all sides.
4. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees; pour the marinade and onions over the pork; tent the pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil; (tear off a piece that is 1 1/2 times the width of your pan; fold it in half and crease the top; open it up, and place over the pan like a tent, tightly crimping edges to seal) continue roasting the pork, basting from time to time with the pan juices, until almost cooked, about 1 hour; add a little water or sherry if the pan dries out.
5. Uncover the roast and continue cooking until the internal temp reads*at least* 150 degrees F on a meat thermometer, about 30 minutes more; (most Cubans like the meat well done, so after sitting, it should be up to 180 degrees--it's safer, also).
6. Let the roast stand for 10 minutes before carving.
7. Note: this is traditionally served with black bean soup and white rice, and fried, sweet plantains; for dessert, serve a rich flan and you're set!