Each chew of lechon asado will transport you to Latin America. This Cuban roast pork is marinated in a flavorful do-it-yourself garlic-citrus marinade and slow-roasted to perfection!
Bored with your commonplace pork roast? Do that lechon asado recipe.
It’s a easy but extremely scrumptious technique to prepare dinner pork and transforms a easy reduce of meat into one thing spectacular. With these easy-to-follow steps, you’ll be able to learn to make a Cuban roast pork recipe from the consolation of your kitchen!
Desk of Contents
Why this recipe works
This Cuban pork roast could look intimidating, nevertheless it’s truthfully one of many best roasts ever.
- The magic’s within the mojo. I like my pork tenderloin marinade, however nothing compares to conventional Cuban mojo (“sauce” in Spanish). A citrus trio is combined with aromatics, herbs, and spices to create a zesty and heat marinade that sparks magic in each chew. It’s the star of this recipe!
- Repair it and overlook it. After marinating, the pork shoulder is slowly roasted to fall-apart tender perfection. Your solely job is basting the meat often in the course of the course of.
- Failproof. The normal marinade/slow-roasting cooking methodology yields flavorful, melt-in-your-mouth meat encased in golden-brown crispy pores and skin it doesn’t matter what!
- Versatile. You’ll be able to serve the roasted pork shoulder as a primary dish together with your favourite BBQ-style sides or Cuban-inspired dishes. The leftovers won’t ever go to waste, both. Pile the succulent pork between slices of crusty bread with conventional Cubano sandwich fixings and dig in!
What’s lechon asado?
In Spanish, “lechón” = younger pig (or suckling pig), whereas “asado” = “roasted.” Thus, lechon asado roughly interprets to Cuban roast pork.
The flavors and substances within the roast pork differ relying on the place you’re on this planet. In Cuba or Puerto Rico, it’s ready by soaking pork in a mojo marinade made out of citrus juice, oregano, garlic, and cumin. The meat is then slowly roasted over a hearth pit or in an oven till the pores and skin is crisp and crackly, and the meat virtually melts in your mouth.
Substances wanted
This Cuban lechon asado is so easy; in addition to the pork and a few seasonings, there isn’t a lot wanted. Here’s what you’ll want:
- Pork shoulder. Search for well-marbled bone-in pork shoulder or pork butt for probably the most flavorful and juicy outcomes.
- Onion and garlic. This duo provides some texture to the marinade, in addition to a savory and garlicky punch!
- Olive oil. To create a easy, cohesive marinade.
- Recent citrus juice. A trio of freshly squeezed lemon, lime, and orange juice is the spine of this mojo’s distinct tanginess.
- Salt and pepper. To spherical out the opposite flavors.
- Oregano. Dried or contemporary (double the quantity if utilizing contemporary).
- Cumin. Refines the flavour with heat, barely smoky notes.
Tips on how to make lechon asado
Oven roasted lechon asado is simple to make: simply bear in mind to pat dry the meat earlier than overlaying it within the marinade.
Make the marinade. Pulse the onion, garlic, olive oil, citrus juices, and spices collectively in a meals processor.
Marinate the pork. Rating the pork and place it in a big container. Pour the marinade over prime, then let it soak in a single day within the fridge.
Roast. Carry the pork to room temperature, then roast it in a preheated oven. Baste it with the reserved marinade whereas it cooks.
Make the sauce. In the meantime, simmer the reserved marinade till it thickens.
Serve. Slice the pork and serve it with the sauce drizzled on prime and lime wedges on the facet. Get pleasure from!
Tricks to make the most effective recipe
Rating the pores and skin: Slicing a couple of slits into the pork pores and skin offers the marinade a greater probability of seeping into the meat.
Additional crackly pork pores and skin: If the pores and skin isn’t crispy sufficient, broil the pork throughout the previous couple of minutes of cooking. Preserve a detailed eye on it to stop it from burning.
Verify for doneness: Pork is normally cooked via to an inner temperature of 145°F, however for this lechon asado recipe, goal for 190ºF. This fashion, the meat pulls aside effortlessly.
Relaxation earlier than slicing: Let the pork relaxation off of the warmth for 20 minutes earlier than slicing. This provides the tasty, meaty juices time to soak again into the meat.
Repurpose the marinade: Flip to this recipe for Cuban mojo marinade anytime you need to infuse vibrant flavors into fish, hen, shrimp, and greens.
Storage directions
To retailer: After cooling, switch the leftover roasted pork to an hermetic container and retailer it within the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
To freeze: Portion the cooked and cooled pork in hermetic freezer-safe containers. Freeze for 1 to 2 months. Thaw the leftovers within the fridge earlier than reheating.
To reheat: You’ll be able to reheat the leftover Cuban roast pork within the microwave or in a skillet over medium warmth with a splash of the reserved marinade to stop it from drying out.
Leftover thought
Deal with your self to a Cuban sandwich made with leftover lechon asado! Layer the succulent roast pork between slices of crusty Cuban sandwich bread (just like tortas) with mustard, pickles or onions, and Swiss cheese.
What to serve with this dish
Lechon asado is finest served with basic Cuban sides, equivalent to black beans and rice (moros y cristianos), fried yuca, fried plantains (tostones), easy inexperienced salads, and mojo sauce or salsa criolla.
And whereas not utterly conventional, these sides can be scrumptious as nicely:
Ceaselessly requested questions
For dishes like lechon asado, you need to marinate the pork shoulder for no less than 4 to six hours. Leaving the pork within the marinade between 12 and 24 hours, nevertheless, will yield the most effective taste and tenderness.
The precise time is dependent upon the scale of the pork shoulder and whether or not it’s bone-in or boneless. Usually, at 350ºF, the pork ought to take between 25 to 35 minutes per pound (roughly 3 to 4 hours whole).
I don’t suggest it as a result of uncooked meat can probably contaminate the marinade. When you’re eager on reusing it, boil the marinade in a saucepan for no less than 5 minutes to kill any dangerous micro organism.
Stop your display screen from going darkish
Utilizing a pointy knife, Make a few slits into the pork.
Mix the onion and garlic in a blender or meals processor. Add olive oil, orange juice, lime juice, and lemon juice to the blended combination and blend nicely. Add the spices. Reserve one cup of the marinade to make use of for the sauce.
Add the pork right into a baking dish and pour the remaining marinade over the meat, making certain some goes into every of the slits. Refrigerate the pork for no less than 10 minutes or as much as 12 hours, frequently rotating the meat.
Take away the meat 60 minutes earlier than cooking to take a seat at room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
Place the meat onto a roasting pan, reserving the marinade for basting. Within the pan, pour one cup of the water and prepare dinner for 3 hours, basting each half-hour with the marinade. If wanted, cowl the meat with foil to stop over-cooking.
When the meat reaches an inner temperature of 190F, take away it from the oven and put aside to relaxation.
Place the reserved 1 cup of the sauce right into a small saucepan and prepare dinner for quarter-hour till the combination thickens.
Serving: 1servingEnergy: 259kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 21gFats: 17gSodium: 517mgPotassium: 457mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 55IUVitamin C: 19mgCalcium: 38mgIron: 2mgNET CARBS: 5g
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