Whole Pork Leg Delivery or Pickup

The whole pork leg comes from the hind leg of a hog and sometimes goes by the name "fresh ham." You can purchase a whole pork leg or half a leg with the bone in or removed. A butcher can cut the whole pork leg into shank, center, or rump portions from the lower leg, center, or near the sirloin.

The names hog, pig, and boar often refer to the same animal, though with some minor distinctions. The term "boar" refers to a domesticated un-castrated male pig and describes the wild pig or boar that people hunt for sport and food. A wild boar can be male or female. The term "hog" describes a domesticated pig that weighs more than 120 pounds.

In most cases, people buy the whole pork leg to roast, either at a family gathering or some type of celebration. You can de-bone the whole leg yourself and cut it into smaller roasting pieces, or you can slice it into thin steaks, known as escalopes. The whole pork leg contains very little fat and, if not appropriately roasted, will dry out. Many people cure whole pork legs themselves after portioning them into smaller sizes. You can dry-cure or wet-cure a whole pork leg. When cured, the meat is called ham.

The terms "hock" and "shank" refer to the front leg of the hog and are often confused for part of the whole pork leg. Hocks come from the meaty lower portion of the hog's front leg. The shank comes from the upper front leg of the hog. Smoking these cuts imparts a distinctive flavor used in many stews, soups, and stocks.

The whole pork leg and its sub-primal cuts are the least expensive of the entire hog. This is because the whole pork leg is constantly used, which makes the meat tough and requires slower cooking techniques or curing to achieve tender results. 

Essentially, you have only one type of whole pork leg. Usually, the whole pork leg is butchered as a primal cut and sold fresh, either to a butcher or grocer. Butchers and grocers sell the whole pork leg as one piece as ordered or cut it into sub-primal cuts for resale.

Cooking a whole pork leg comes with several challenges, mainly time. Preparing a whole pork leg is a labor of love, starting with the marinade. A traditional Cuban-style whole pork leg calls for marinating it in a spice mixture of garlic, oregano, mojo seasoning blend, adobo seasoning blend, and fresh-squeezed orange and lime juices. The marinade should be thick, not runny. Cut cross-sections in the whole pork leg and rub the marinade all over, making sure you get it inside the cuts for better flavor. Cover the marinated whole pork leg and refrigerate it for at least four hours or up to one day. 

After marinating, let the whole pork leg stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 450°F and roast the whole pork leg for 30 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350°F and continue roasting, basting the meat every 30 minutes. In 5-6 hours, your roast should fall off the bone with the gentle prod of a fork. 

You can save time by selecting your whole pork leg on the Instacart app. Simply select the whole pork leg you desire and add it to your cart. After checkout, an Instacart shopper prepares your order in as little as 2 hours! In some cases, your whole pork leg will qualify for same-day delivery!