Noche Beuna Lechon

Noche Beuna Lechon

picnic shoulder, about 10 pounds

complete seasoning, your favorite brand

kosher salt

black pepper

confit garlic, recipe below

marinade, recipe below

chicken stock, as needed

Score the skin of the pork: use a sharp knife to make shallow, diagonal cuts across the pork. Each score should cut through the skin and fat but not into the meat. Leave about an inch between each line. Turn your pork and repeat the process to make diagonal cuts.

Transfer the pork to your roasting pan. Season the pork well with salt, pepper and complete seasoning. Rub 4-5 cloves of confit garlic into the meat and skin. Marinate the pork overnight or up to 2 days. The longer you marinate, the more flavorful it will be.

To cook the pork, remove from the refrigerator about an hour before roasting. Preheat your oven to 200˚F. Add enough chicken stock to the pan to reach about 1/3 of the way up the pork. Loosely tent the pork with aluminum foil and roast for 10-12 hours or until very tender. Tongs or a fork should easily pierce the meat. You may need to add more chicken stock during the cooking process. Once the pork is tender, remove the foil, raise your oven temperature to 375-400˚F and continue roasting until the skin is a deep golden brown. Serve with mojo.

Marinade for Lechon:

1½ bunches cilantro, chopped

1 bunch Italian parsley, chopped

¾ cup garlic cloves

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon oregano

2 teaspoons black pepper

1½ tablespoons complete seasoning

1 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed

1 cup lime juice, freshly squeezed

1 bunch scallions, root end trimmed, cut into ½-inch pieces

½ cup olive oil

2 teaspoons kosher salt

Puree all ingredients together until smooth.

Mojo:

1 cup olive oil

4 loose cups red onion, sliced into thin strips (about 1½ cups large onions)

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon complete seasoning

½ teaspoon ground coriander

1½ teaspoons kosher salt

¾ cup freshly squeezed lime juice

¾ cup freshly squeezed orange juice

¼ cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped

Heat the oil over low heat in a large sauté pan. Add the onions, garlic and spices and cook until the onions are soft and translucent. Do not get any color on the onions. Remove from the heat and add the kosher salt, lime and orange juice and cilantro.