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Cuban Pork

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  • Prep 15 min
  • Total 6 hr 45 min
  • Ingredients 9
  • Servings 10
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My mouth waters just thinking about roasted pork. I am Venezuelan and still remember the feasts my mom used to make at my aunt's house. I remember that beautiful spread with a very special guest... the breathtaking pork holding an apple in his mouth, and decorated with sugared fruits. What fabulous and delectable memories. Many of the tricks in the kitchen that I proudly share today in my Sexy Chef lessons, were learned from her. It is very common for pork roast to be made in Latin American countries. Since I moved to Miami, I've had the pleasure of trying original dishes from each country... I love making Cuban lechón and that's why today I felt like sharing a couple of my tricks. In Cuba, pork roast is made for any occasion, during Christmas as well as any other day of the year. It is usually served with moros y cristianos (rice and black beans), always with sweet plantains and the famous mojo with salted onions on top. Commonly, a portion of the pork called paleta (pork shoulder) is put in the oven. One of the best-known methods is to prepare it outside in the famous caja china (Chinese box), an old method where you bake the whole pork for hours, through a special process, which is spectacular and unique. Although it doesn’t matter how you make it, it's delicious, you can try your hand with my recipe below. !Buen provecho!
by Martha Salas
Updated Sep 24, 2015
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Ingredients

Mojo or marinade

  • 15 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 3 teaspoons cooking salt
  • 3 cups orange juice
  • 1 cup lemon juice
  • 1 cup lime juice
  • 1 large onion
  • 2 teaspoons ground oregano
  • 1 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 4 lbs pork shoulder

Directions

  •  
    1
    Heat oven to 325°F.
  •  
    2
    Mix all ingredients in container to make the marinade.
  •  
    3
    Stir in generous amount of marinade to the pork, cover with aluminum foil and let stand for 4 to 5 hours, or better yet, let stand overnight.
  •  
    4
    In a baking sheet, place the pork shoulder with a bit of liquid from the marinade. Bake slowly for approximately 2 1/2 hours. Insert a thermometer to measure the internal temperature; when it reaches 175°F it should be done.
  •  
    5
    Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Expert Tips

  • tip 1
    Marinade overnight.
  • tip 2
    To prevent meat from drying, brush mojo every half an hour while it's still in the oven.
  • tip 3
    Place salted onions on top of the pork and serve with congris (rice and beans) and sweet plantains.
  • tip 4
    Serve hot.

Nutrition Information

No nutrition information available for this recipe

More About This Recipe

  • My mouth waters just thinking about roasted pork. I am Venezuelan and still remember the feasts my mom used to make at my aunt's house. I remember that beautiful spread with a very special guest... the breathtaking pork holding an apple in his mouth, and decorated with sugared fruits. What fabulous and delectable memories. Many of the tricks in the kitchen that I proudly share today in my Sexy Chef lessons, were learned from her. It is very common for pork roast to be made in Latin American countries. Since I moved to Miami, I've had the pleasure of trying original dishes from each country... I love making Cuban lechón and that's why today I felt like sharing a couple of my tricks. In Cuba, pork roast is made for any occasion, during Christmas as well as any other day of the year. It is usually served with moros y cristianos (rice and black beans), always with sweet plantains and the famous mojo with salted onions on top. Commonly, a portion of the pork called paleta (pork shoulder) is put in the oven. One of the best-known methods is to prepare it outside in the famous caja china (Chinese box), an old method where you bake the whole pork for hours, through a special process, which is spectacular and unique. Although it doesn’t matter how you make it, it's delicious, you can try your hand with my recipe below. !Buen provecho!
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