The actual family Christmas dinner in Great Expectations featured a leg of pork that was pickled, or corned, over a long period. This is our contemporary spice-rubbed version, which takes only about 24 hours. Serve the pork hot with mashed potatoes or cold in sandwiches.
Recipe information
Total Time
28 hr
Yield
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Finely grind juniper berries, peppercorns, and allspice in an electric coffee/spice grinder, then stir together with brown sugar and salt in a small bowl. Rub spice mix all over pork and chill in a sealed plastic bag 1 day.
Step 2
Transfer pork to a 6-quart pot and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, adding more water as needed to keep pork submerged, until meat is very tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
Step 3
Transfer pork to a cutting board and let stand 25 minutes before slicing.
