This being the month of Christmas, a holiday celebrated among 160 of the 195 countries that make up this planet, I’ve decided to do a monthly installment of how various countries around the world celebrate this special holiday in their kitchens and feature their signature holiday meals. Some may be sides, some may be mains, maybe a dessert or two, some may be a complete dinner. Only time will tell by which country my girls have randomly pulled out of Santa’s hat.
It is a dreary, cold, rainy day…and the forecast is looking like it’s going to be a very cold Christmas up-and-down the East Coast. However, it can smell tropical and bring some sunshine and warmth into your body if you make this Puerto Rican Lechon Asado! Of course, with the weather being so cold, I couldn’t barbecue it in the traditional manner. So, instead of shredding the meat, I made this more like a traditional roast pork. This meal can all be made in the warm comforts of your kitchen.
Lechon Asado
The key to this recipe is to use freshly squeezed citrus, as opposed to store bought juices.
Spice rub:
3 tbsp each garlic/onion powder;
2 tbsp black pepper;
1 tbsp each paprika/cumin
1.5 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
3 large garlic cloves, smashed
1 cup each of freshly squeezed lemon & orange juice
½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
3 tbsp white, distilled vinegar
¼ cup fresh oregano leaves
1.5 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1.5 tbsp Kosher salt
~8 lb bone-in pork butt (shoulder)
Squeeze your citrus into a large 4-cup measuring cup.
Preheat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat and sweat the onion with a pinch of table salt. Once softened, add the garlic cloves and stir until fragrant, about a minute.
Pour in the squeezed juice, through a fine-mesh strainer, and increase the heat to high. Once boiling, reduce to medium low and simmer for a couple of minutes. Pour just under half of the mixture into a blender. Reserve the remainder and once cool, place in a container in the fridge; reserve it for a citrus jus.
Meanwhile, prepare the spice mix and stir in a bowl or jar. Place 3 tbsp of the spice mix into the blender. Set the remainder aside for the next day.
To the blender, also add the vinegar, oregano, Worcestershire sauce and Kosher salt. Blend until combined. Place the pork shoulder into a 2-gallon sized ziploc bag and pour the blended marinade over it, sealing the bag. Place in the fridge for 18-24 hours, rotating and massaging a couple of times.
After the pork has marinated, remove the shoulder and pat dry. Score the fat cap in a criss-cross pattern, and flip the shoulder over. Season the bottom and sides, rubbing the reserved spice rub into the meat. Flip over and heavily season the fat cap, rubbing it into the crevasses and give the whole roast a final rub with the remaining spice blend. Place the pork on a rack in a roast pan.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees, placing the rack in the lower-third. If you have a probe-style thermometer, insert it in the deepest portion of the meat, ensuring not to come into contact with the bone. Once the oven has come to temperature, place the roast in the oven and connect the probe to your thermometer.
After an hour of cooking, lower the temperature to 350 and continue cooking until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 150. At that point, reduce the oven temperature to 285 degrees and roast until the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees.
Remove the roast from the oven and allow it to rest, for about an hour. Just before slicing, reheat the reserved jus over low heat. Thinly slice (using an electric knife would be ideal)and serve, pouring some of the warmed jus over the meat.
______________________________
Copyright 2022, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.