Roasted Pork
Ideal for Noche Buena (Christmas Eve)
Puerco Asado
Serves 8
There are as many ways to prepare pork as there are Cubans but this recipe is simple and delicious!!!
Ingredients:
1 pork shoulder 8 to 10 lbs
6 large lemons
1/4 Cup Worcestershire sauce
10 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup sour orange juice
- table salt Note: We use pork shoulder because it is tastier than other parts of the pork.
Preparation:
Wash the pork shoulder under running water and dry well with paper towel. In a non metallic container squeeze the juice of all the lemons and mix with the sour orange juice. (You can buy the sour orange juice in bottles) Using a wood mortar or garlic press, smash all the garlic cloves.
Place the pork shoulder, skin down, in a non-metal container and pierce deeply, a few times, with a knife. This will allow the marinating sauce to better penetrate the meat. Pour the lemon and sour orange mix over the meat making sure that some penetrates into the pierced holes. Pour the Worcestershire sauce in the same manner. Take the smashed garlic with you fingers and rub vigorously on all the surfaces of the pork shoulder. Push in a little garlic into the pierced holes. Cover with plastic wrap and let it stand in the refrigerator for at least two hours.
Preheat oven to 350°. Remove pork from the refrigerator and rub table salt vigorously, with your fingers, on all surfaces of the meat. (If you want great tasting pork, do not be shy with the salt!!).
Save the marinating sauce that has accumulated at the bottom of the container, this will be used to baste the meat, at least two times, while cooking. Loosely cover meat with aluminum foil. Cooking time will be approximately 4 hours, depending in the size of the shoulder and the characteristics of your oven. Cook for 2 1/2 hours and baste the pork with 1/2 the sauce that was saved. Cover again and let cook for another hour. Baste again with the rest of the sauce and this time, leave uncovered until done. To be sure the pork is done, pierce deep in the center with a knife and if no pink juices use come out, it should be ready. You may want to brown the surface of the meat by turning on your broiler burners for a few minutes before removing it from the oven. DO NOT LEAVE UNATTENDED WHILE USING YOUR BROILER. IT WILL BURN YOUR MEAT REALLY FAST.
For a real Cuban meal serve with Congri and Yucca. (See our recipe for Congri)Note: You may want to make some mojo sauce serve at the table. Prepare it with the juice of 3 lemons, same quantity of sour orange juice, fresh onion slices, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and a drip of olive oil. Let stand for 1/2 hour. You may want to heat it before serving. but do not cook.
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