Cuban Style Roasted Pork Shoulder ~ Roasted pork shoulder marinaded in a Cuban Style dressing made with garlic, cumin, oregano, black pepper and sour oranges.
Growing up, I remember my grandmother, mom, aunts and uncles making plans for Nochebuena and having talks about who was going to be making that year’s lechón and where.
Back in the Dominican Republic, as it is true in many other Latin countries, the main dish for Christmas Eve dinner is lechón asado or roasted pork. What makes it such a special dish and the subject for a lot of planning, is that the pig is typically cooked whole on an open flame. The preparing and cooking process of the meat is as much of an experience as it is the holiday night where family and friends get together to eat and celebrate.
Roasted pork is a must have holiday dish for me and my family. But roasting an entire pork on an open flame in a suburban neighborhood of New York City during winter time is practically impossible. That is why we opt to use pork shoulder instead.
This recipe uses a Cuban Style marinade made with garlic, cumin, oregano, black pepper and the juice of three sour oranges. If you cannot find sour oranges around your way, you can substitute by using freshly squeezed orange juice and lemon juice together.
The flavor of this lechón asado is unbelievable. What’s even better is that you can save the leftover (if any) to make pork tacos the following day. Yum!
Cuban Style Roasted Pork Shoulder
Author:Ingredients
- 1 (7-10 pounds) pork shoulder
- 30 garlic cloves minced
- ½ cup freshly squeezed sour orange juice about 3 oranges
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons salt
Instructions
- Clean the pork shoulder and place in a roasting pan. Pat dry with a paper towel. Using a paring knife poke holes all-around the meat.
- In a medium bowl, combine garlic, sour orange juice, cumin, pepper, oregano and salt. Rub the mixture all over the meat making sure to get it into the small holes. Cover with aluminum foil and place in the refrigerator overnight.
- Remove from the refrigerator and let it rest on top of the kitchen counter for about 1 hour. Place in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for about 3-4 hours, depending on the size, or until the meat reaches a temperature of 175 degrees.
- Remove from the oven and let it rest for 20 minutes before carving. Serve with your favorite side dish.
Nutrition
The nutritional information of this recipe and all recipes on mydominicankitchen.com is only an estimate. The accuracy of any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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Holli Weller says
I’m making this today. Do I keep the fil on baking or remove?
Vanessa says
You can keep the film on while baking and remove it for the last hour or so of baking.
Denise Lawson says
How did you get the grill Mark’s on the pork? Did you put it on the grill after being in the oven?
Vanessa says
No grill marks. That’s from the oven. I made cuts on the skin before putting in the oven and that created the marks. 🙂
Melissa Mitchell says
Hello, Vanessa! This looks REALLY, REALLY good! Simple ingredients. . . it doesn’t get any better than that. I have a question though. I moved from up North, where you could find any kind of ingredient easily, to the South, where it is extremely difficult to find anything – even the simplest ingredients. I so miss the Spanish, West Indian, Jamaican, Indian, Chinese, and Italian grocery stores!
Yes! My question? Do you know of an suitable substitute for sour oranges? It’s been so long since I’ve had one that I can hardly remember what they taste like. Do you think that I could mix fresh orange and lime juice?
Thanks for the recipe! I will make this for New Years.
Melissa Mitchell says
I apologize. I realize now that you already answered my question. I will reach out to you again when I have made this.
Vanessa says
Hi Melissa,
Thanks for reaching out. Yes, you can substitute sour oranges with a mix of lime or lemon juice with oranges. Please feel free to reach out anytime. 🙂
Gaila Perez says
Vanessa! me encanta esta receta! me trae recuerdos de toda la vida!! QUe tengas felices fiestas