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Cuban pork placed on a serving platter with slices of citrus and cilantro around it.
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Cuban Roast Pork Recipe (Lechon Asado)

If you love big flavors, this Cuban Pork recipe is for you. Also known as Lechón Asado, this pork is marinated in garlic, citrus, and herbs, then slow-roasted until juicy, tender, and packed with punch!
Author: Nikki Lee
Servings: 8
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the Pork:

  • 4 pounds boneless pork shoulder Boston Butt works great!

Marinade:

  • ¼ cup olive oil or avocado oil if you prefer
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest
  • ¾ cup fresh orange juice (about 3-4 medium navel oranges)
  • 1 teaspoon lime zest
  • ½ cup fresh lime juice (about 4-5 limes)
  • 3-4 fresh mint leaves
  • 6-8 garlic cloves
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1-2 teaspoons kosher salt adjust to taste
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • Optional: I like to slice an orange and lime to go in with the marinade

Instructions

Marinate the Pork

  • Combine all the marinade ingredients in a food processor blender and pulse until the herbs and garlic are finely chopped. Place the pork in a large zip-top bag and pour the marinade over it, and seal the bag. Toss the pork around in the bag to coat thoroughly. Place orange and lime slices in the bag on top of the roast. Place the bag in a bowl and refrigerate for at least 3 - 4 hours or overnight.
  • If you don't have a food processor, finely chop the herbs and garlic, then mix everything in a bowl. Place the pork in a large enough bowl to put the pork in it. I prefer not to use a shallow bowl so that the pork will sit down in the marinade. Pour the marinade over it, and toss to coat.
  • Place in the refrigerator for overnight preferably or for at least 3 - 4 hours, for the flavors to come together. If using a ziplock bag, I like to put the bag in a bowl—just in case there are any spills.

Prep for Roasting

  • Take the pork out of the fridge and let it rest on the counter for about 1 hour so it comes to room temperature. Don’t forget to reserve the marinade—we’ll use it for the sauce later! Discard the fruit slices. (Keep it refrigerated while the meat is cooking.)
  • Preheat your oven to 425°F or 400°F if using a convection or fan oven.

Roast the Pork

  • Place the pork in a roasting pan, uncovered, and roast for 30 minutes to get a nice golden crust. Baste the pork with the pan juices a couple of times during this step.
  • Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F or 350°F ( convection/fan). Continue roasting for another 1½ to 2 hours, basting every 30 minutes * See Note (this is optional- if you wrap tightly and aren’t able to baste it still turns out delicious). The pork is ready when the internal temperature hits 160°F —juicy and tender but still sliceable.
  • For pork you can shred: Lower the oven temp to 325°F and roast for about 3 to 3 ½ hours, or until the meat easily shreds with a fork.
  • If you would like to crisp the top more, place the roast in the oven on broil for a few minutes. Keep an eye on it.

Rest and Serve

  • Once the pork is done, transfer it to a plate and loosely cover it with foil. Let it rest for about 20 minutes to let all those juices redistribute into the pork.

Cuban Mojo Sauce

  • In a small saucepan, combine the reserved marinade, 2 tablespoons of the roasting pan dripping.
  • Bring it to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Let it cook for about a 2-3 minutes.
  • Taste and adjust the flavor as needed. A little extra lime juice will brighten it up, or a pinch of sugar can balance the tanginess if it’s too tart for your liking

Notes

  • If you want to thicken the sauce add 3 tablespoons of cornstarch to ¼ cup of cold water and whisk until smooth. Pour into the sauce and stir. Let it cook for a couple of minutes until thickened.
  • To brighten up the mojo sauce you can add extra  3-4 tablespoons orange juice and 1-2 tablespoons of lime juice, if you like. Salt and Pepper to taste if desired. I find with the lime and orange slices in the marinade, you don’t necessarily need to do this.
  • Bottled Orange juices can be a little sweeter than fresh squeezed orange juice.
PAN DRIPPINGS:

Basting is optional- if you wrap tightly and aren’t able to baste it still turns out delicious.  If you find you do not have any liquid from the pan drippings and you can add some water or broth to the pan as you cook or after to use in the mojo sauce. 
Gravy: If you would like to make a gravy, follow my Turkey Gravy recipe but use these drippings. If drippings are lacking you can add 4 tablespoons of butter to the pan and scrape up any bits from the bottom. Then proceed with recipe (you will lift flavor from the bottom of the pan).

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 369kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 52g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 136mg | Sodium: 415mg | Potassium: 948mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 116IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 2mg

Find it online:

www.soulfullymade.com/cuban-pork-roast-recipe/