It’s been a long long standing tradition in our family to have a leg of fresh roasted pork on Christmas Eve 
along with black beans and rice, platanos maduros (ripe plantains), and yuca (cassava) with a garlic lemon sauce.
I remember meeting my cousin downtown Tampa for a movie and then taking the bus to my grandmother’s house and wait for the rest of my 16 cousins, aunts and uncles. The bus let us off a half block from my grandmother’s home and you could smell that pork roast from outside. And just like the song, she would always have chestnuts roasting in her fireplace. To this day that aroma of the roasting pork, so heavily infused with garlic, brings back heartfelt memories of days gone by.
Although this menu stems from a traditional Cuban meal, my paternal grandmother was from Asturias, Spain. She immigrated with her husband and 6 children to the United States in the very early 1900s. After settling in Tampa, Florida, she gave birth to two more children, my father being one of them. Sadly, my grandfather passed away when my father was 14 years old. My abuelita never re-married. Her name was Santa (Saint), and to all of us she was indeed that. Any day with her was special, but none more special than Christmas Eve, when my parents, sister and me gathered with 8 aunts and uncles and16 cousins. It was joy in every sense of the word. As families grew, individual gatherings were done in their respective homes and we no longer could get everyone in the same place during the holidays. When a family event like this becomes a memory, that memory becomes a priceless treasure.
My maternal grandfather also made the same dish and my recipe is mostly adapted from him. 
He was a master of fresh and cured hams. Hams are huge in Spain. You can see them hanging in every tapas bar you enter. The Iberico ham is almost cost prohibitive today. The biggest tip I got from my abuelito was to add one teaspoon of salt per pound of ham to the marinade. I have carried the tradition of this meal in my family to this day, hopefully creating a memory they will also treasure. I can count on one hand the number of Christmas Eves that I did not have this meal. Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 Whole fresh ham (I usually buy one that is in the 22 pound range)
- 1 Tsp of salt per pound of meat
- Enough peeled garlic to fill half of a blender.
- The juice from 10 lemons and 4 sour oranges (if you can’t find sour oranges, use two navel oranges and add an additional 2 lemons)
- 1 Cup olive oil
- 1 Bunch of fresh oregano removed from stem
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Trim the skin off pork roast careful not to take off the fat underneath.
- Score the roast with a sharp knife without cutting into the meat.
- Place the last five ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Put the pork roast in a brining bag and pour the marinade into the bag.
- Tie the bag tightly pressing to get all the air out of it.
- I marinate mine for 2 to 3 days, turning every 12 hours or so.
- On the day you are going to bake the pork, take it out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature.
- Roast uncovered on a rack in the oven at 325 degrees F.
- Count on 18 to 20 minutes per pound. Internal temperature should be 145 to 148 degrees F.
- Remove from oven, loosely tent with foil and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes before slicing.
- If you prefer to have your pork the consistency of pulled pork, roast at 275 to 300 degrees F, for about 1 1/4 hour per pound.
- Don’t be put off by how black the roast will look. The taste in mind blowing.