
What Is Lechón Asado (Cuban Roast Pork)?
Lechón Asado (Cuban Roast Pork) is traditionally a whole suckling (young) pig that has been marinated in Cuban mojo criollo and roasted outside in a fire pit or in a Caja China. What do you do when you don’t have a whole pig to roast? Roast a pig leg or a shoulder. Today I am going to show you how to roast a pig leg.
Traditionally, Lechón Asado is made for Christmas Eve (Noche Buena) dinner and special occasions. However, for the first time I was able to get my hands on some real Seville oranges. So, I am celebrating by making mojo criollo without any store bought bottles. Wow, this feels like Christmas to me!
If you want to get some Seville oranges too, I found them online at Kamala.com.
Usually I will buy Goya naranja agria as a substitute for Seville oranges. Seville oranges are sour oranges used for marinades, sauces, and cocktails.
Another alternative is to make your own naranja agria. Simply mix a 1/2 cup of each; fresh squeezed limes, fresh squeezed oranges, fresh squeezed grapefruit and white distilled vinegar. Combine all ingredients and its ready for use or save for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
Best Cut Of Meat For Lechón Asado (Cuban Roast Pork)
As I said earlier, traditionally a whole pig is roasted outside in a fire pit or in a Caja China. A pork leg is a great alternative to roasting a whole pig because you still get that fabulous crispy skin (chicharrones).
As you are going to see I am roasting a 27 lb pork leg that is still going to be in the oven all day. The leg comes from the hind legs of the pig with the bone still in.
If you are looking for a quicker cook time a pork shoulder works great. The shoulder comes from the front legs and is marbled with more fat. I have absolutely used a shoulder and the meat is great because of the higher fat content you can achieve a pulled pork tenderness.
For the absolute best flavor let the pork leg or shoulder marinate for 24-48 hours. I was able to let this giant leg marinate for 48 hours and it was so worth it.
Using a turkey bag with a ziplock close works the best. For the mojo recipe I am going to share with you, it will need to be multiplied by at least 4 times for a pork leg this big. However, if you are roasting a small shoulder you might only need to double it.
What Is The Difference Between Lechón and Pernil?
Pernil is also a roasted pork leg or shoulder, however pernil is a Puerto Rican dish.
Lechón is Cuban.
Pernil is also mostly served on Christmas Eve and special occasions. Puerto Rican pernil is marinated with with a little different type of mojo consisting of sofrito and adobo along with the base of garlic and citrus. Lechón is marinated with Cuban mojo criollo.
What Do You Eat With Lechon?
or
Garlic Mojo
Drizzled on top of lechon when served.
What do you do with all of the leftover lechon? Cuban sandwiches of course!!
Ingredients
- Mojo Criollo Marinade
- Lechón
- Garlic Mojo
Instructions
- Mojo Criollo Marinade
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