Cooking Cuban - Lechón (Cuban-Style Pork)

sour orange juice

🥗Healthier: fresh orange juice + lime juice

💰Cheaper: regular orange juice

Fresh orange juice adds acidity and brightness.

pork shoulder

🥗Healthier: pork tenderloin

💰Cheaper: pork butt

Pork butt is more affordable and flavorful.

olive oil

🥗Healthier: avocado oil

💰Cheaper: vegetable oil

Vegetable oil is a cost-effective alternative.

bay leaves

💰Cheaper: dried basil

Dried basil can mimic the flavor profile.

Slash holes in the pork shoulder, avoiding piercing the white skin part.

Grind garlic and salt together.

Rub the garlic and salt mixture onto the pork, ensuring it gets into every slash.

Squeeze lime juice over the pork and massage it into every crevice.

Apply Mojo marinade all over the pork, again getting it into every crevice.

Moisten the skin with a tiny bit of water to help the salt stick.

Generously salt the skin to aid in crisping during cooking.

Cover the pork and refrigerate overnight for seasoning.

The next day, chop an entire package of bacon.

Stuff the chopped bacon into the slashes of the pork.

Turn the pork over and salt the skin again to help it dry out during cooking.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

Cover the pork and roast in the oven for 2.5 hours.

After 2.5 hours, uncover the pork and roast for an additional hour.

Remove the pork from the oven and slice off the skin, placing it on a tray.

Broil the skin for 15-20 minutes to make it extra crispy, watching closely.

Carve the meat, which should fall off the bone easily.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary