Lechón Asado
Lechón asado is the whole roast pork that anchors Cuba's biggest celebrations, above all Noche Buena on Christmas Eve, when families traditionally roast a whole pig in a caja china or over a backyard pit dug the night before. Spanish settlers brought pig roasting to the island, and over generations Cuban cooks built their own version around citrus and garlic rather than European herbs, turning it into one of the clearest expressions of Cuban criollo cooking. The sour orange marinade, called mojo, is what defines the dish: its sharp acidity tenderizes the meat overnight and balances the richness of the fat. Home cooks without a whole pig roast a shoulder or leg the same way, marinating it for a full day before a long, slow roast that finishes with a hot blast to crisp the skin into crackling. Serving lechón with rice, black beans, and fried yuca is considered practically mandatory at any Cuban holiday table.
Marinated in sour orange mojo
The pork soaks overnight in a garlicky sour orange marinade that tenderizes the meat and seasons it all the way through.
Slow-roasted until falling apart
Low, steady heat over several hours breaks down the shoulder until it shreds effortlessly with a fork.
Crackling skin, tender inside
A final blast of high heat crisps the skin into crackling while the meat underneath stays moist and juicy.
The centerpiece of Noche Buena
Whole roast pork is the dish Cuban families build their Christmas Eve feast around, shared with rice, beans, and yuca.
Ingredients 4 servings
- 2 kg pork shoulder, skin on
- 8 garlic cloves, crushed to a paste
- 120 ml sour orange juice (or mix of orange and lime juice)
- 60 ml olive oil
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp ground black pepper
How to make it
- 1Whisk the sour orange juice, olive oil, garlic paste, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper into a marinade.
- 2Pierce the pork shoulder all over with a knife and rub the marinade deep into the meat and under the skin.
- 3Place the pork in a large dish with the onion and bay leaves, cover, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- 4Preheat the oven to 150°C and set the pork skin-side up in a roasting pan with the marinade poured around it.
- 5Roast for about 4 hours, basting occasionally, until the meat is fork-tender and pulls apart easily.
- 6Raise the oven temperature to 220°C and roast for 15–20 minutes more until the skin turns deep golden and crackling.
- 7Rest the pork for 15 minutes, then shred or slice and serve with the pan juices spooned over the top.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
