Cuban-Style Oven-Roasted Pork
photo by gailanng
- Ready In:
- 31hrs
- Ingredients:
- 13
- Yields:
-
1 roast
- Serves:
- 6
ingredients
-
Pork and Brine
- 1 (7 -8 lb) pork shoulder, bone-in skin-on
- 3 cups sugar
- 2 cups table salt
- 2 medium head garlic, unpeeled cloves separated and crushed
- 4 cups orange juice
-
Garlic-Citrus Paste
- 12 medium garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon table salt
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 6 tablespoons orange juice
- 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
directions
- TO BRINE THE PORK: With sharp paring knife, cut 1-inch-deep slits (about 1 inch long) all over roast, spaced about 2 inches apart. Dissolve sugar and salt in 6 quarts cold water in stockpot or large bucket. Stir in garlic and orange juice. Submerge pork in brine and refrigerate 18 to 24 hours.
- TO APPLY THE GARLIC-CITRUS PASTE: Process garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper in food processor until they reach consistency of coarse paste, about ten 1-second pulses. With machine running, add orange juice, vinegar, and oil through feed tube and process until mixture forms smooth, wet paste, about 20 seconds. Remove pork from brine and rinse under cool running water; pat dry with paper towels. Rub paste all over pork and into slits. Refrigerate pork while oven is preheating to 325 degrees with rack in lower-middle position.
- TO ROAST THE PORK: Place pork with skin side down on wire rack set over rimmed baking sheet or in roasting pan with rack. Cook, uncovered, 3 hours. Flip roast skin side up and continue to cook until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of meat registers 190 degrees, about 3 hours more, lightly tenting roast with foil if skin begins to get too dark.
- Transfer roast to cutting board and let rest 1 hour. To carve, first remove skin in one large piece. Scrape off and discard top layer of fat, then cut pork away from bone in 3 or 4 large pieces. Slice each piece against grain into 1/4-inch slices. To serve skin, scrape excess fat from underside and cut into strips. Drizzle Mojo Sauce (see related recipe) over pork just before serving.
Reviews
-
This was fantastic! It was easy to prepare and the meat came out delicious, tender, and moist. The pork can be enjoyed as is, or with a sauce like mojo or BBQ, as in pulled pork. My only "criticism" is that this recipe made far more marinade than was needed. I froze the extra and will use it to marinate a duck. The garlic citrus paste was just the right amount to completely cover the pork. Thanks for posting.
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This is the best recipe for pork roast. My kids wouldn't stop sneaking chunks while it was resting. Only got to make four sandwiches out of the shoulder bc we all kept eating the slices before they could make it to the bread!!! There aren't words for how good it was. I wasn't sure at first bc there's no lime and a lot of garlic but I followed the recipe to the "t" and it paid off, big time. Never thought I could cook this well, blew my mind!!!
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
nsomniak6
Lancaster, 78
<p>I have been tattooing professionally for 10 years. <br />I had my first baby in March 2005. He's the best thing that ever happened to me! <br />Update: Since this post, I had twins in May 2007. Unfortunately one was born with a Congenital defect called Diaphragmatic Hernia. She has been in the hospital since she was born and as of today it has been almost 8 months. As soon as we come home, I plan to start getting back in the kitchen, but it has been the last thing on my mind as of late. <br />2nd Update: My daughter has been home for a year now and she's been doing really well. She's still has a long way to go, but she's strong as an ox!</p>