Lechón asado
Lechón asado: mojo-marinated slow-roast pork shoulder
This is a pork dish. In Cuba a whole pig is roasted for Nochebuena, Christmas Eve, and for big family parties, often in a pit in the yard; at home in Miami or Havana the same flavour comes from a pork shoulder soaked overnight in mojo, the sour-orange, garlic and oregano marinade. The meat roasts slowly until it pulls apart, and the skin turns to crackling. Serve it with moros y cristianos, yuca con mojo and a squeeze of lime. A common mistake is leaving the shoulder in the marinade on the kitchen counter: it must always marinate in the fridge. Chef's tip: if you can't find sour (Seville) oranges, mix two parts orange juice with one part lime juice for the same sharp edge.
- Total time
- 330 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the mojo marinade
For the pork
Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Pound 12 cloves garlic with 1 tbsp coarse salt to a paste in a mortar (or blitz in a small food processor). Mix in 2 tsp ground cumin, 2 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 cup orange juice, ½ cup lime juice and ¼ cup olive oil.
10 minStep 2: Score the pork skin in a diamond pattern with a sharp knife, cutting through the skin and fat but not into the meat. Stab the meat side all over with a small knife, 2 cm deep.
Step 3: Put 5 ½ lb bone-in pork shoulder, skin on in a large dish or food bag with 1 onion and pour over three-quarters of the mojo, working it into the cuts. Keep the remaining mojo covered in the fridge for serving.
Step 4: Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 12 hours and up to 24, turning once. Never marinate pork at room temperature.
Step 5: Take the pork out of the fridge 45 minutes before cooking. Heat the oven to 325°F (fan 275°F). Put the pork skin side up in a roasting tin with the onion and marinade, pat the skin dry with kitchen paper and cover the tin tightly with foil.
45 minStep 6: Roast for 3½ hours, basting with the pan juices every hour, until the meat is very tender and shrinks back from the bone.
210 minStep 7: Remove the foil and turn the oven up to 425°F (fan 400°F). Roast for 25–35 minutes more until the skin puffs and crackles. Watch it closely at the end so it doesn't burn.
30 minStep 8: Check the thickest part with a meat thermometer: it must read at least 145°F, and for meat that pulls apart aim for 194°F. Rest the pork loosely covered for 20 minutes.
20 minStep 9: Lift off the crackling and break it into pieces. Pull or slice the meat, toss it in the pan juices and the reserved mojo, and serve with the crackling and lime wedges. Chill leftovers within 2 hours.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
- Fat
- 36 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does lechón asado take?
- About 330 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 300 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of ground cumin?
- Cumin seeds, toasted and ground.
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