Tender Lechon Asado (Cuban Roast Pork Recipe)

Ingredients

• 1 head garlic, peeled
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 8-10 lbs pork shoulder
• Arroz Congri (for serving)

Steps

1. In a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic cloves, salt, peppercorns, onion, oregano, cumin, and oil until you get a paste. You're going to use this garlic paste, along with the mojo marinade for the pork. Set aside.
2. This is not mandatory for the recipe but preferred. You can use a roasting pan with a rack but it is optional.
3. Score the pork enough for it to flap over backward. Do not cut it off completely.
4. Using the same knife, pierce the now uncovered pork a few times and pour the mojo marinade over it. Leave the skin flap flipped back the whole time.
5. Next generously rub the garlic paste, evenly, over the pork then flip the skin back down to cover the garlic paste. The skin must remain dry.
6. Cover the entire pork roast with aluminum foil and place in the fridge to marinate for 2-3 hours or overnight. The longer, the better.
7. When you're ready to roast the pork, preheat the oven to 375°F.
8. Remove the pork from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. Pat the skin of the pork with a paper towel before roasting. Remember the dryer the skin, the crispier it will be. This is the best part of Cuban roast pork! Leave the marinade in the roasting pan and garlic paste on the pork. You will cook the pork with both of them.
9. Spray aluminum foil with nonstick cooking spray. Cover the pork and the entire roasting pan with the oiled foil. This will help the foil not get stuck to the pork skin while it is roasting in the oven.
10. Place pork shoulder in the oven and roast for 4 hours until the internal temp is 180°F. (A good rule of thumb is to roast the pork for 30 minutes for every pound. Example: An 8-pound pork roast will cook for 4 hours.)
11. After 4 hours, remove the roasting pan from the oven. Increase the oven temperature to 450°F.
12. Remove the aluminum foil from the pork and roasting pan. Drain all the marinating liquid from the pan but do not discard it.
13. Roast another 30 minutes, uncovered, to crisp up the pork skin. Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't burn!
14. Remove the roasting pan from the oven and allow the pork to rest for 20 minutes before shredding with 2 forks.
15. Feel free to pour the leftover marinating liquid that you drained from the roasting pan over the now shredded pork so it stays juicy, moist, and delicious. Serve the roast pork with yuca and Arroz Congri.