Tag Archives: lechon

Mojo Marinated Lechón (Cuban Pork Roast)

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Ingredients:

  • 5 lb pork shoulder with skin

Mojo Marinade:

  • 8 Cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 1 tbsp Adobo, (or salt)
  • 2 Oranges
  • 1 Lemon
  • 1 lime
  • 1 cup, chopped onion
  • 1 tbsp oregano
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 cup (Goya) Spanish olive oil
  • 1/2 cup Sherry

Preparation:

Put all ingredients of the Mojo Marinade into a blender and liquefy.  This needs to be very fine as we will inject the marinade into the pork shoulder.

Load a marinade syringe with some of the mojo marinade.  Using a narrow paring knife, stab through the skin and into the meat, to create a hole.  Inject the mojo marinade into the hole.  Repeat this process everywhere you can around the entire pork shoulder.

Place the pork shoulder and the balance of the mojo marinade into a zip-lock bag, rubbing the out side of the pork shoulder to distribute marinade over the meat.  Place into the refrigerator to marinade over night, turning it every now and then.

Preheat the oven to 450⁰ (F).  Remove the pork from the zip-lock, reserving the marinade for basting. Place the pork, fattest side up, in an open roasting rack/pan in the middle of the oven.  I originally was using a disposable baking pan, but I put a hole in it with the knife. Roast at this temperature for 1 hour.  Reduce the temperature to 200⁰-225⁰ (F).* Optional: Add 1 cup of water to a backing pan, for slow moist roasting.

Baste with reserved marinade over the roast occasionally as it cooks. Using a meat thermometer, roast should be removed from the oven when the internal temperature reaches 145⁰-150⁰ (F). This took me approximately 7-8 hours.  The last 15 minutes I lowered the pork to the bottom rack and turned on the broiler at a low setting, to crisp the skin.  Turn off the oven and let it rest for 20 minutes in the oven.  Remove from the oven and allow to rest, for at least 10 minutes more before slicing and serving.

Now that the roast has rested. move it to a cutting board. Preheat the oven to 300⁰. While the oven is heating up, cut off the bottom of the roast close to the bone. Then with a paring knife, cut around the knuckle and the bone will slide out. 

Remove the skin and scrape off excess fat.  Cut the skin into thin strips and return to the oven in the roasting pan to dry for about 10 minutes.

To servve, slice the pork or cut into cubes.  Take the skin out, drain on a paper towel, and plate pieces with your servings of pork.