Lechón Asado — Cuban Roast Pork

About This Recipe

Lechón asado is Cuba's most important festive dish: a whole pork shoulder (or leg) marinated overnight in mojo — a sauce of sour orange juice, garlic, oregano, cumin and olive oil — then slow-roasted for hours until the exterior is deeply caramelised and the meat falls apart at the touch. The mojo marinade is the soul of Cuban cooking, and its sour-garlic fragrance is inseparable from Cuban identity. Lechón asado is the centrepiece of Noche Buena (Christmas Eve) celebrations and any major gathering, carved at the table with ceremony. Made at home from a pork shoulder, it is one of the most manageable and rewarding special-occasion dishes in Latin American cooking.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 2 kgbone-in pork shoulder(skin scored)
• 1 headgarlic(peeled)
• 150 mlsour orange juice(or mix of orange and lime juice)
• 2 teaspoonsground cumin
• 1 teaspoondried oregano
• 2 teaspoonssalt
• 1 teaspoonblack pepper
• 4 tablespoonsolive oil

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the mojo and marinate

   Pound garlic with salt to a paste. Combine with orange-lime juice, cumin, oregano, pepper and olive oil. Pierce the pork all over deeply with a knife. Rub mojo all over and into the cuts. Marinate overnight refrigerated.

2. 2

   Slow roast

   Bring pork to room temperature. Roast at 160°C for 3–4 hours until internal temperature reaches 80°C and the meat is completely tender.

3. 3

   Blast the skin

   Increase to 230°C for 20–30 minutes until the skin blisters and crisps. Rest for 20 minutes before serving.

4. 4

   Serve

   Shred or slice the pork and serve with white rice, black beans and fried plantain. Extra mojo sauce on the side.

Variations

• •

  Whole-pig lechón is the festive version requiring a spit or outdoor pit.

• •

  Pork tenderloin can be used for a much faster (45-minute) version.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Refrigerate for up to 5 days. Shredded leftover pork makes extraordinary sandwiches and empanada fillings.

Frequently Asked Questions