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Leg of pork substitutes

What to use when you can't find Leg of pork at your butcher

Leg of pork is the traditional name in United Kingdom. Outside that tradition, butchers carry comparable pork cuts under different names — sometimes the same anatomical piece, sometimes a close cousin. The alternatives below are grouped by country so you can match what your local butcher actually carries.

What to ask for
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United Kingdom

Gammonclose substitute

Same anatomy — gammon is the cured form of the fresh leg of pork. Curing alone (without long air-drying) is what distinguishes gammon from European raw-cured hams; cooking is what distinguishes gammon from cooked ham.

Brazil

Picanha suínaapproximate

Same anatomical primal — picanha suína is butchered from the upper rump end of the pork leg, keeping the fat cap. Most leg-of-pork butchery trims the cap; the picanha cut deliberately preserves it.

France

Jambon de Bayonneclose substitute

Same anatomical primal — Bayonne is the fully-cured product made from the fresh leg.

Germany

Schwarzwälder Schinkenclose substitute

Same anatomical primal — Black Forest ham is the cured-and-smoked product made from the fresh leg.

Westfälischer Schinkenclose substitute

Same anatomical primal — Westfälischer Schinken is the cured-and-smoked product made from the fresh leg.

Italy

Prosciutto crudoclose substitute

Same anatomical primal — Prosciutto is the fully-cured product made from the fresh leg.

Mexico

Carnitasapproximate

The leg is the leaner half of a traditional carnitas mix; used alone it needs more fat added to the pot.

Portugal

Presunto de Barrancosclose substitute

Same anatomical primal — Presunto de Barrancos is the cured product made from the fresh leg of an Alentejano-breed pig.

Leitão da Bairradaapproximate

Whole-animal preparation; the leg/haunch is the most-eaten part when the spit-roasted leitão is sliced and served.

Spain

Jamón ibérico de bellotaclose substitute

Same anatomical primal — ibérico is the cured product made from the fresh leg of an Iberian-breed pig.

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