3 Guys Cuban Recipe: Cuban Main Dish: Lechon Asado (Cuban)

Roast Pork

Jorge: When we don't have the time...

Raúl: ...or enough hungry Cubans around...

Jorge: ...to roast a whole pig, we make our Lechon Asado using a fresh, bone in ham.

Glenn: Many butchers in other parts of the United States call this a "green" ham. Just make sure you ask for an un-smoked or un-processed ham with the skin still on.

Raúl: That's the most important part - you need the skin and the layer of fat underneath.

Jorge: You can cook your lechón in the oven or outside on the grill. A covered grill (such as the Webber kettle) where you can bank the coals to the side, leaving an empty space beneath your ham, works best.

Glenn: I've had good luck with a gas grill. Just turn off the middle burner and adjust the front and back burners to keep the grill at the right temperature.

Raúl: Finally, you can also make this on top of the stove in a large Dutch oven. Adjust the heat to low, cover and cook until completely done.

Jorge: My sister Esther usually adds a fresh ham or two when we do our pig roasts, just to make sure there's plenty of lechón for everyone!

One "fresh ham" with bone in (or have your butcher butterfly it for you!) and skin on.

You can also use a small pork roast with a good layer of fat on it. A pork shoulder is nice!

Mojo Marinade


20 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups sour orange juice
(If you can't get sour orange juice in your area, use two parts orange to one part lemon and one part lime)
1 cup minced onion
1 teaspoon oregano
1 1/2 cups Spanish olive oil

Mash the garlic and salt together with a mortar and pestle.

Add dried oregano, onion, and the sour orange to the mash and mix thoroughly.

Heat oil in small sauce pan, add the mash to the oil and whisk. Pierce 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 overnight.

Oven

Place the pork fattest side up in an open roasting pan. Place pan in oven and reduce temperature to 325 degrees F. Spoon extra marinade over the roast occasionally as it cooks. Using a meat thermometer, roast should be removed from the oven when the temperature reaches 155 degrees F.

Immediately cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. The roast will continue to cook after you remove it from the heat. A perfectly cooked pork roast will be pale white in the middle and the juices will run clear.

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.

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. Using a meat thermometer, roast should be removed from the grill when the temperature reaches 155 degrees F.

Stovetop

Place ham in a large Dutch oven, or a covered stock pan -- whatever you have that the pork will fit in. 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 -- otherwise the roast will burn.

Serves: Servings based on the size of your ham. Allow about 1/4 to 1/2 pound per person, depending on side dishes.

Ingredients