Growing up in a Cuban household meant pork was on the menu pretty much all holiday season long… along with moros, yuca, flan, buñuelos, and arroz con leche.
Every year, as a kid, I remember looking forward to seeing relatives and cousins that I hadn’t seen since last Christmas Eve and staying up way past my bedtime. Christmas is my favorite holiday ever.
My uncle would get up at the crack of dawn on Christmas Eve to marinate a pig which would lay completely sliced open on the table. It was quite a sight! He would marinate the pig with mojo while making sure the skin was very dry in order to achieve that delicious crunch pork skin that we all love so much. It was the best.
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I remember every Noche Buena dinner just brimming with delicious mojo roast pork and all the fixings. Plus, all those leftovers were enjoyed for lunch on Christmas day the next day.
And while the roast pork was never made in the oven (it was made outside in the ground or in a ‘caja china‘), this traditional recipe that I’m sharing with you today is marinated Cuban-style with a flavorful homemade garlic-citrus marinade and slow-roasted in the oven to perfection.
This is one of those traditions that I feel everyone should adopt. Add it to your menus this year! I promise this Cuban roast pork recipe is SO good, you’ll want to make it all year long.
When you’re done with this recipe, make another delicious recipe for Cuban Christmas!
Ingredients for the Garlic Paste for Lechon Asado
First things first, we have to make a seasoned garlic paste. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Garlic
- Salt
- Black peppercorns
- Onion powder
- Oregano
- Cumin
- Olive oil
You mash all these up together either in a mortar and pestle or in a food processor until you get a paste.
How To Make Cuban Roast Pork with Crispy Skin
- Separate the skin from the pork. Why is this important? Well, when you gently separate the thick pork skin from the pork, you’re able to marinate the actual roast. But make sure not to cut the skin off completely. We need the skin for crispy pork cracklings!
- Marinate the pork. Now that the skin is flapped over, pierce the pork a few times with the knife and pour the mojo marinade over it. Next, rub the garlic paste, evenly, all over the pork, and then place the skin back down. Cover the entire roasting pan with aluminum foil and place it in the fridge to marinate for 2-3 hours or overnight. The longer, the better.
- Time to roast! Remove the pork from the fridge, allow it to come to room temperature, remove the foil and pat the skin down with a paper towel before roasting. The dryer the skin, the crispier it will be! Roast for 4 hours with the mojo marinade and garlic paste.
- Get that crispy skin. After 4 hours, remove the roasting pan from the oven. Increase the oven temp to 450 degrees F. Remove the foil and drain the liquid but do not discard it. We’re going to use that later. Bake the pork for another 30 minutes, uncovered, to crisp up the skin. Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn!
How long do you cook Cuban lechon asado in the oven?
A good rule of thumb is to roast the pork for 30 minutes for every pound.
As long as the internal temperature reads 145 degrees F on a food thermometer, it’s fully cooked.
What does mojo pork taste like?
Mojo pork tastes like the perfect combination of citrus, garlic, and spices. It’s not spicy at all. On the other hand, it’s slightly sour and tangy.
Plus when you marinate the pork with the garlic paste and mojo marinade, it tenderizes the meat bringing out the fresh flavors while it’s in the oven. That’s why it’s so darn delicious!
Do you cover the pork roast in the oven?
Yes! Covering the roasting pan with aluminum foil helps lock in the flavor and retain the meat’s juiciness. Before you do that, however, lightly spray the aluminum foil with nonstick cooking spray.
This helps the foil not get stuck to the skin while it’s roasting in the oven. I made the mistake of not spraying the foil and all that delicious pork skin crackling was stuck to the foil. It was upsetting!
Honestly, I can’t say any more good things about this Cuban-style roast pork. It’s one of my favorite traditions from my childhood and I hope it becomes a tradition in your family too!
You may also like:
- Cuban Yuca with Mojo
- Arroz Congri (Cuban black beans & rice)
- Cuban Black Beans (Frijoles Negros)
- Fluffy Cuban White Rice Recipe
Cuban Roast Pork (Lechon Asado)
Ingredients
- 1 head garlic peeled
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 cups mojo marinade
- 8-10 lbs pork shoulder
- Arroz Congri
Instructions
- In a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic cloves, salt, peppercorns, onion, oregano, cumin, and olive oil until you get a paste. You're going to use this paste along with the mojo marinade for the pork. Set aside.
- Place the pork shoulder in a roasting pan. You can use a roasting pan with a rack but it is optional, not mandatory for this recipe.
- Grab the thick pork skin that is on top of the pork. Using a sharp knife, gently separate the skin from the pork enough for it to flap over backward. Do not cut it off completely.
- Using the same knife, pierce the now uncovered pork a few times and pour the mojo marinade all over it. Leave the skin flap flipped back the whole time.
- Next, generously rub the garlic paste, evenly, over the pork then flip the skin back down to cover the garlic paste. The skin must remain dry.
- Cover the entire pork roast with aluminum foil and place in the fridge to marinate for 2-3 hours or overnight. The longer, the better.
- When you're ready to roast the pork, preheat the oven to 375ºF.
- Remove the pork from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature.
- Pat the skin of the pork with a paper towel before roasting. Remember the dryer the skin, the crispier it will be. This is the best part of Cuban roast pork! Leave the marinade in the roasting pan and the garlic paste on the pork. You will cook the pork with both of them.
- Lightly spray aluminum foil with nonstick cooking spray. Cover the pork and the entire roasting pan with the oiled foil. This will help the foil not get stuck to the pork skin while it is roasting in the oven.
- Place the pork shoulder in the oven and roast for 4 hours until the internal temp is 180ºF. (A good rule of thumb is to roast the pork for 30 minutes for every pound. Example: An 8-pound pork roast would cook for 4 hours.)
- After 4 hours, remove the roasting pan from the oven. Increase the oven temperature to 450ºF. Remove the aluminum foil from the pork and roasting pan. Drain all the marinating liquid from the roasting but do not discard it.
- Bake for another 30 minutes, uncovered, to crisp up the pork skin. Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn!
- Remove the roasting pan from the oven and allow the pork to rest for 20 minutes before shredding it with two forks.
- Feel free to pour the leftover marinating liquid that you drained from the roasting pan over the now shredded pork so it stays juicy, moist, and delicious. Serve the roast pork with yuca and congri/moros. Enjoy!
Dean Enquist says
Hi Jamie, I made your Puerco Asado for Christmas Dinner. It was a big hit. All the guests could not stop raving about it. The best I ever had. I will be making this more often. Thank You so much.
Best Regards,
Dean the Swede who cooks Cuban.
Lismey Mitat says
With this recipe, does the skin come out crispy, like in chicharon?
Jamie Silva says
Yes! You just have to make sure to keep the skin extra dry to achieve that delicious crispy skin! :)
melissa says
Hello, I am a bit unclear in your directions. Do you remove pork from mojo marinade and put in oven OR do you place pork in oven with mojo marinade?
If with the mojo marinade, we should keep pork elevated on roast rack above liquid so skin stays dry, right?
Jamie Silva says
Hi Melissa, yes, you roast the pork with the marinade and garlic paste. No need to use a roasting pan with a rack unless you want to. I’ve made Cuban roast pork several times on a roasting pan without a rack. I’ve updated the recipe to make the instructions more clear for you. Hope it helps!
Miranda says
Hi! Wondering if you use a roasting rack or if its flat on the bottom of the roasting pan? Thanks!
Jamie Silva says
Either one will work fine!
Dean Enquist says
Hi Miranda, I used a roasting pan and covered it. I then uncovered it for the last 45 minutes of roasting. The skin came out crispy perfect and the roast was the best I ever had. A roasting pan does not have a flat bottom so the pork gets air underneath it while roasting. Also all the juices are in the bottom of the pan to put over the pork after you shred it. It almost shreds itself.
I served it with Yuca and black beans and rice.
HC says
This recipe actually reads clearly without any confusion. So, I may try. Is the pork shoulder bone-in or boneless and can it be made with a larger piece than 10 pounds without issue?
Jamie Silva says
Bone-in has more flavor because of the fat! If you make a pork shoulder that’s larger than 10 lbs, you may have to adjust the ingredients and cook time a bit. Be mindful of that, and keep an eye on it while it’s in the oven so it doesn’t dry out. Enjoy!
Nancy says
Love it – the garlic is not overwhelming and the citrus is wonderful. I saved all the juices separately and put in the fridge. It’s now a jelly-like mass that I skimmed the fat off of. Do I heat it up and add it back to the meat which I’ve shredded? I had already saved half the mojo sauce before marinating and poured that over the meat when it was done (that sauce is yummy, should’ve made more).
Thanks
Jamie Silva says
Yes! Once you heat it up, everything will cook down and be juicy & delicious!
Rachael says
Hi Jamie! Most of the pork shoulder available near me doesn’t have the skin attached. Do you recommend changing the technique at all because of that?
Fun fact: My family used to go to a friend’s house on Christmas Day and they’d serve lechon asado with maduros, white rice, black beans, yucca, and lime. My family would make this even in years they didn’t host. I want to see if I can replicate it at home. Thank you for the recipe!
Jamie Silva says
Hi Rachael, it should be the same technique whether the pork has skin or not. Let me know how it goes!
Anthony says
When you say to pour leftover marinade mixture over the shredded pork, do you mean the Mojo Marinade from the bottle or the liquid from the roasting pan?
Jamie Silva says
From the roasting pan!
Cody says
Making this this weekend. Do you cook it in the same pan with marinade still in the pan after patting skin or empty pan after marinating?
Jamie Silva says
Yep! It goes from the fridge to the oven! :)
Joy Cuyugan says
I am trying this recipe now and have a question. The paste’s ingredients are also in the homemade mojo marinade. Thus, there will be atotal of two heads of garlic: one in the paste and one head in the mojo marimade. Did I understand that correctly? Thanks!
Jamie Silva says
Yep, that’s correct! Remember, we’re working with an 8-10 lb roast pork here so it needs lots of ingredients for maximum flavor!
Vaughn says
What’s a good side dish with this I’m thinking mashed potatoes
Jamie Silva says
Hi! I list a few in the blog post – moros is the best side dish for lechon!
Raymond Lazcano says
I can’t print your recipe. It sounds so good. I want to make it. Please help.
Thank you
Jamie Silva says
Hi! On the recipe card, there’s a big “print recipe” button. Click on that and the recipe will open in another browser window so you can print it. Happy cooking!
Jane says
Making this now–could it be put in slow cooker if browned before? And do you have a recipe for Cuban bread? For sandwiches?
Jamie Silva says
I’m working on a Cuban bread recipe! And yes, if it fits, you can cook the pork in a slow cooker however you will not achieve the crispy skin and overall flavor that you will by roasting it in the oven. As it is, this recipe should be made in a caja china as I explain in the post but the oven is the next best thing.
Barbara Z says
I used your Lechón Asado recipe, and it was perfect! The whole family LOVED it. Thank you!!!
Gigi Morales says
It’s Christmas Eve and making this for dinner! Thank you!!
Jamie Silva says
YAY! Come back soon and let me know how you like it! :)
Adriana says
What cut of pork is used in the recipe?
Jamie Silva says
Pork shoulder
Edie says
OMG! I did you recipe on Thanksgiving, it was the best pork I ever cooked, my kids Mami que rico tu puerco. I told evryone to follow you. Thank you! tomorrow I am baking the coquito cookies..❤️
Jamie Silva says
So happy to hear that, Edie! Can’t wait for you to make the coquito cookies! :)