Colombian Garlic-Braised Pork (Lechona-Style Shoulder)

About This Recipe

Lechona tolimense — a whole pig stuffed with rice, peas and its own seasoned meat, then roasted for hours — is one of Colombia's great celebration dishes, especially in the Tolima region where it's practically a symbol of festival food. This recipe borrows its signature garlic-cumin-oregano seasoning and applies it to a much more manageable cut: a braised pork shoulder. The technique that carries the dish is the long, slow braise. Searing the pork first locks in a deep crust, and then hours in the oven at a gentle temperature break down the shoulder's connective tissue until it shreds with almost no effort. The braising liquid, built from stock, onion and lime, becomes a light sauce to spoon back over the meat. This isn't a whole roasted pig for a village festival — it's a home cook's way of capturing that same bold, garlicky flavor in a pot that fits in a normal oven.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 3 lbpork shoulder(bone-in)
• 8 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 2 tbspground cumin
• 1 tbspdried oregano
• 2 tspfine sea salt
• 1 tspblack pepper
• 2 tbspvegetable oil
• 1onion(quartered)
• 1 cupchicken or pork stock
• 2bay leaves
• 2 tbsplime juice

Instructions

1. 1

   Season the pork

   Rub the pork shoulder all over with garlic, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, ideally overnight.

2. 2

   Sear the meat

   Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C). Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and sear the pork on all sides until deeply browned, about 10 minutes total.

3. 3

   Build the braise

   Add the onion, stock, bay leaves and lime juice around the pork. Bring to a simmer on the stovetop.

4. 4

   Braise low and slow

   Cover and transfer to the oven. Braise 3 to 3.5 hours, until the meat is fork-tender and pulls apart easily.

5. 5

   Rest and shred

   Let the pork rest 15 minutes in the braising liquid, then shred with two forks and spoon some of the juices back over before serving.

   Skim excess fat off the braising liquid before spooning it back over the shredded pork.

Variations

• •

  Serve shredded over rice with fried plantains, as it's typically plated at Colombian celebrations.

• •

  Use a slow cooker on low for 8 hours instead of the oven if you prefer a hands-off method.

• •

  Add a pinch of achiote to the rub for a deeper golden color.

Storage

Refrigerate shredded pork with its juices in an airtight container up to 4 days, or freeze up to 3 months. Reheat gently with a splash of stock to keep it moist.

Frequently Asked Questions