My favorite time of the year has always been the holidays because food was never lacking, family was alway around, and obviously the presents were a plus. But Noche Buena is my favorite holiday of them all because of the Lechon asado. As for those who don’t know, it’s the night before Christmas and as I like to think of it, it’s the real day of Christmas for us Cubans. As a child, and to this day, I always get excited about going to the Lechonera with my dad and Abeulo Kiko to pick out a Lechon, a pig for my non Spanish readers. Now, living in New York and especially now during Covid, a whole pig is not feasible to make so we now make a pierna or pernil (pork leg or shoulder).
How do you make lechon asado?
Lechon asado (Cuban pork roast) is pretty easy to make. The key is the mojo. You want to get as much mojo as possible in your pork so it comes out juicy and flavorful. A lot of people like to slice the pork and place the mojo on the pork, but the key to juicy pork, is to inject the mojo into it. I don’t know if it’s the physician in me, but since my grandfather showed me how to do this we have never turned back. I love using the OXO Flavor Injector (link in my store), the barrel of the needle is perfect width so that the garlic wouldn’t get stuck inside.
Anyhow, I typically like to use about 1-2 cups of mojo per five pounds of lechon. Then, I allow the lechon to marinate in it for at least overnight. Once you are ready to cook it, preheat the oven to 275F and cook until the internal temperature reaches 145F.
How long do I cook the lechon for?
I think the perfect time to cook your lechon is about 4 hours for a 5 lb Lechon and 30 minutes for every pound after that. So for example, a 10 pound pork shoulder would take about 6-6 1/2 hours to make. Just keep a close eye on it as it gets close to the end because you don’t want to over cook the pork and dry it out. You can also check the temperature and make sure it has reached 145F prior to removing it from the oven.
How much lechon asado (cuban roast pork) should I make per person?
I typically make about 1-2lbs a person. Noche buena is always full of appetizers, sides and desserts, so making that much is always more than enough, and guarantees you left overs for days.
Ingredients
- 10 lb Pierna or pernil pork shoulder/leg
- 3-4 cups of cuban mojo
- 1 tablespoon Sea salt
Instructions
- Remove the pork shoulder/leg from wrapping and dry it off with a paper towel.
- Using a flavor injector, inject the mojo into all parts of the pork until all of it is injected. Any leftover remnants of mojo can be rubbed on top of the pork. (If you do not have a flavor injector, make deep cuts with a thin long knife all over the meat and pour the marinade over and into the cuts). Rub the sea salt on the pork.
- Place the pork in the fridge overnight to allow it to marinate.
- Before cooking, pre-heat your oven to 275°F.
- When you are ready to cook your pork, remove from the fridge and place it on a roasting rack with skin side up. Cover with non-stick aluminum foil if you are not using an oven cooking bag. Cook in the oven for ~6-61/2 hours or until the internal temperature is 145°F.
- In the last 10 minutes of cooking, remove the aluminum foil or pop the oven bag, place your oven on broil and broil the the skin of the pig until it is crispy. (For real crispy skin, dissolve 1-2 tablespoons of salt in a cup of water, and brush it on the skin.) Keep a close eye during this part to avoid burning the skin.
- Remove from the oven and place on a cutting board. Carve/shred away and enjoy!
