Slow Roast Pork - Help! Is this a disaster?

[AvengingGerbil]

Or am I just impatient?

I put a leg of pork in the oven at 11.15 this morning, with some veg and liquid. The oven was on at max for 30 mins then I turned it down to 140 as per the instructions. I've just looked at it, and it is nowhere near that 'melting, flaking, tear it apart with two forks' state that Hugh, Jamie, Nigella and so on all insist it should achieve.

There is no sign of simmering/bubbling in the liquid, and I can almost life the tin with bare hands. Have I done something wrong, should I whack up the temperature, or should I just leave it alone for the next three hours?

Help! (Please.)

I don't think you have done anything wrong but I suggest you buy an oven themometer and check what temperature the oven actually is compared with what is on your dial! If it isn't simmering at all then your oven cannot possibly be at 140. Turn it up so that you get the juices simmering and then leave it alone until dinner time.

It sounds like your oven really hasn't got up to temperature - I cook casseroles at 160 and the liquid looks and feels "hot", not exactly bubbling but serious steam coming off, and I wouldn't even think of letting a drop of it onto bare skin. If you can even think about touching the tin with your bare hand I can't imagine its 140 degrees.

That's what I was afraid of! OK, I'll turn it up and see what happens.

I take it bubbling etc should be happening for slow roasting? Never done it before, so I thought maybe it was supposed to be like that, but then I lost heart!