Lechon Asada Cuban Style Shredded Roast Pork Recipes

MOJO CUBAN ROAST PORK (LECHON ASADO)

Steps:

• Add the onion, garlic, cilantro, mint, jalapenos and fresh oregano (if using) to your food processor and pulse until very finely chopped, scraping the sides down as needed. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in all remaining mojo marinade ingredients.
• Remove 1 1/2 cups of the marinade and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator (to serve with roasted pork).
• Transfer the rest of the marinade to a freezer bag and add the pork; turn to coat, squeeze out excess air and seal. Marinate the pork in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours (no longer!), turning the bag occasionally.
• When ready to cook, remove the pork from the refrigerator and let rest on the counter for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large cast iron skillet. Wipe excess marinade off pork, then sear on all sides until browned.
• Place the pork on a rack in a roasting dish (or use halved onions to prop up if you don't have one) with 1 cup of water in the bottom. Spoon some of the marinade from the bag over the top of the pork. Cover the pork with foil, slightly tenting in the middle so it is not touching the pork.
• Bake at 425 F for 30 minutes then reduce the temperature to 325 F and continue to roast for an additional 3 hours, adding additional water as needed so the water doesn't dry up. Only check the water once an hour but don't stress it, it's not the end of the world if you need to leave and it dries up.
• After 3 hours, remove the foil and baste the pork with the water/drippings in the bottom of the pan. Roast for an additional 30 minutes. The meat should very tender; about 180-190 F on an instant read thermometer, without touching the bone. (Although this pork does not require a meat thermometer because it will be cooked beyond overdone until tender.) If it's not tender, cook for an additional 30 minutes as needed.
• At this point, you can turn your oven to broil (without moving the pork) for a more caramelized exterior if desired; broil for 5-10 minutes, keeping an eye on it so it doesn't burn.
• Transfer the pork to a cutting board and loosely tent with foil. Rest for 20 minutes before carving.
• Meanwhile, transfer the 1 1/2 cups reserved UNUSED mojo sauce to a saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes while stirring occasionally, or until reduced by half. Stir in a couple tablespoons of drippings if desired for more succulent flavor. Slice the pork and brush with some of the mojo. Serve remaining mojo on the side.

LECHON ASADO, CUBAN ROAST PORK

Steps:

• Pat dry the pork roast and prepare a plastic container or freezer bag big enough to hold it plus some liquid.
• Squeeze the juice from the orange, lime and lemon. Crush or finely chop the garlic and thinly slice the onion. Mix the juices with rest of ingredients (dry or fresh oregano, cumin, salt, garlic, onion and pepper) in the container/bag.
• Add the pork into the marinade and turn or seal the bag and shake a little to cover all over. Leave the pork to marinade overnight in the fridge, ideally turning at least once.
• When ready to cook, bring the pork out of the fridge ahead of time - around 30-60min - to allow it to come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 325F/ 160C.
• Place the pork in a roasting dish with the skin side up, sitting in a little of the citrus marinade juice. Save the rest of the marinade, including all of the onions. Baste the pork with the juice in the dish after 1-2hr and continue cooking. Roast for 3 hours, or a little more if needed, covering with foil if the top gets too brown. You should get an internal temp of at least 170F to be able to slice, or 190-200F to be able to shred when it's ready.
• While the pork is cooking, bring the remaining marinade to a gentle simmer and cook for around 5 minutes to soften the onions. Serve this as a sauce over the pork when serving.

ROAST PORK CUBAN STYLE (LECHON ASADO)

Steps:

• Mash the garlic, salt, and peppercorns together with a mortar and pestle.
• Add dried oregano, onion, and the sour orange to make a mash - mix thoroughly.
• Heat the olive oil in a 2-quart saucepan until hot, but NOT deep frying hot! We're looking for something in the neighborhood of 220 degrees F. Remove the saucepan from the heat source. Carefully add the mash to the hot oil and whisk gently. Let cool.
• Pierce the pork as many times as you can with a sharp knife or fork.
• Pour garlic mixture (save a little for roasting) over pork, cover and let sit in refrigerator for 2-3 hours or preferably overnight.
• OVEN.
• To roast in the oven, preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place the pork, fattest side up, in an open roasting pan. Place pan in oven and reduce temperature to 225 degrees F. Spoon extra marinade over the roast occasionally as it cooks. When to temp, immediately cover with foil and let rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving. The roast will continue to cook after you remove it from the heat.
• GRILL.
• Use a covered grill, such as the Webber kettle or a covered gas grill. Bank the coals to each side, leaving an empty space beneath your ham. If using a gas grill, use front and rear burners only. The idea is to cook with indirect heat. You want a low heat.
• Spoon extra marinade over the roast occasionally as it cooks. If not using a gas grill, add charcoal to the sides as needed to maintain roasting temperature. When to temp, immediately cover with foil and let rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving. The roast will continue to cook after you remove it from the heat.
• STOVETOP OR CROCKPOT.
• Place ham in a large Dutch oven, or a covered stock pan. Add about one cup of marinade to the pan. Bring to a boil. Adjust the heat to low, cover and cook until completely done. Add additional marinade as needed to keep at least one inch of liquid in bottom of pan so the roast will not burn.
• All methods internal temp 195F to pull with fork OR 170F to slice. The time of 7 yours is an estimate. Could be less, could be more.
• Servings based on the size of your ham. Allow about 1/4 to 1/2 pound per person, depending on side dishes.