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This roasted lechón (or Cuban roast pork) is marinated in a flavorful Cuban mojo and garlic sauce. It is cooked until very tender and served with white rice, black beans, and sweet plantains. Traditionally, it is roasted in the oven, I used the Instant Pot to speed up the cooking process! Serve roasted lechón during the holidays with Fried yucca and Custard for the best Latin-inspired food.
I’ve been a fan of Cuban food for a long time. I love everything from Cuban Picadillo, Creole Fried Chicken, Old Clothes and Guava CupcakesThese recipes are absolutely delicious, comforting, and taste just like the authentic Cuban food from your childhood.
Ingredients you will need for roasted suckling pig
- Mojo marinade – This is a Cuban marinade made with fresh citrus juices, dried oregano, oil, and lots of garlic. It tenderizes the pork and gives it tangy, citrusy, savory flavors that are very delicious. Sour oranges are traditional, but if you can’t find them, use a combination of fresh orange juice and lime juice.
- Boneless pork shoulder – This is a thick, tough cut of meat that requires a long cooking time to become tender and shredded. It is inexpensive and perfect for this recipe.
- Olive oil – Since we’re cooking the pork shoulder in an Instant Pot, I use a small amount of olive oil to brown the pork. From here, the pressure cooker does a great job of rendering the fats into juices as it cooks.
For the rest of the ingredients, see the recipe index card below!
How to make roast suckling pig
- For the mojo marinade. Whisk together the grated garlic, lime zest and juice, orange zest and juice, salt, pepper, oregano and cumin in a large bowl. Cut the pork into six pieces and add to the marinade. Marinate the pork in the refrigerator for six hours.
- Brown the meat. After the pork has been marinating for six hours, set the pressure cooker to the sauté function, then add a little olive oil. Add the pork pieces, brown each side for 3 minutes, then transfer the browned meat to a plate and start the next batch.
- Cooking in a pressure cooker. Next, you’ll place the meat back into the Instant Pot along with any extra marinade juices and a sliced onion. Cook it on high pressure for one hour and 15 minutes, allowing the pressure to release naturally.
- Shred the meat and simmer the juices and onions. Transfer the super tender pieces of pork to a serving platter and shred the meat with two forks. Taste a piece to see if you need to add more salt or pepper. Cover the pork with foil to rest. Simmer the remaining juices in the Instant Pot for 10 to 15 minutes with more sliced onions. Be sure to taste the juices as well and adjust seasoning as desired.
- Assemble and serve. Once it’s simmered, add the cooked onions and about a cup of juices to the rested pork and mix it all together. You’ll serve it all with lime wedges, cilantro, rice, sweet plantains, and black beans.
Tips and tricks
- Use an Instant Pot! A pressure cooker cuts the cooking time of pork in half. You don’t have to worry about monitoring it, as it cooks in the oven and the meat always comes out perfectly tender.
- Marinate the meat the night before. The pork should sit in the mojo marinade for at least 6 hours so it can absorb those delicious flavors. Combine all the ingredients just before bed so it’s ready to cook in the morning.
- Cooking temperature of pork – Cuts like pork shoulder require a longer cooking time and higher final temperature for the best eating experience, so a pressure cooker is ideal for this recipe. Pork is safe to eat once it reaches 145°F, but for pork shoulder we’ll be looking for around 170°F or higher. You can find more information on pork cooking temperatures here. here.
Frequently Asked Questions About Recipes
Pork in Spanish is called lechón and roasted pork is called asado. For Cubans, roasted pig or roast pork is marinated with mojo and is usually served on special occasions such as Christmas or New Year.
Mojo is a Cuban marinade made with sour oranges, oregano, oil and lots of garlic.
In the case of this recipe, I use a combination of oranges and limes to mimic the flavor of sour oranges, which are harder to find where I live.
Boneless Pork Shoulder. This is the same cut of meat that is used to make pulled pork, so you know it will be extra tender and melt in your mouth once it is cooked in the mojo marinade.
More Latin-inspired recipes
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In a bowl, combine the garlic, lime zest, and 1/4 cup lime juice (reserve the remaining ¼ cup for later), orange zest and juice, salt, pepper, oregano, and cumin and whisk until well combined. Using a paring knife, make 1-inch-deep slits in all six pieces of pork and place them in a large mixing bowl or large freezer bag as you go.
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Pour the marinade evenly over the pork and mix well to coat all the pork pieces thoroughly and get into all the crevices. If using a container, cover it with cling film, and if using a bag, seal it and then transfer to the refrigerator to marinate for six hours.
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After the pork has been marinating for six hours, set the pressure cooker to the sauté function on high and add the olive oil. Add three of the six pieces of pork to the pot, shake off any excess marinade, and place them in the container or bag and brown for three minutes on each side. Place the browned pieces on a plate and repeat the process with the remaining three pieces of pork.
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Return the browned bits from the plate to the pot and add any remaining marinade juices from the bowl or bag to the pot. Place half of the onion slices, reserving the other half for later, on top of the pork and close the lid. Cook on high pressure for 1 hour and 15 minutes, allowing the pressure to release naturally when done.
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Transfer the pork pieces to a serving platter and use two forks to shred the meat. Taste a piece and sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper if needed. Cover with a piece of foil and let rest. Using the simmer function on your pot, add the reserved 1/4 cup lemon juice and the reserved onion slices and simmer them in the juices for 10 to 15 minutes.
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Taste the juices from the pot and see if you need to adjust with more salt and pepper. Toss the shredded pork with about a cup of the juices and the simmered onion slices. Serve with lime wedges, cilantro, rice, sweet plantains, and black beans.
Tips and tricks
- Use an Instant Pot! A pressure cooker cuts the cooking time of pork in half. You don’t have to worry about monitoring it, as it cooks in the oven and the meat always comes out perfectly tender.
- Marinate the meat the night before. The pork should sit in the mojo marinade for at least 6 hours so it can absorb those delicious flavors. Combine all the ingredients just before bed so it’s ready to cook in the morning.
- Cooking temperature of pork – Cuts like pork shoulder require a longer cooking time and higher final temperature for the best eating experience, so a pressure cooker is ideal for this recipe. Pork is safe to eat once it reaches 145°F, but for pork shoulder we’ll be looking for around 170°F or higher. You can find more information on pork cooking temperatures here. here.
Calories: 398kcal | Carbohydrates: 5gram | Protein: 64gram | Fat: 12gram | Saturated fat: 3gram | Polyunsaturated fat: 2gram | Monounsaturated fat: 6gram | Trans fats: 0.04gram | Cholesterol: 170mg | Sodium: 1028mg | Potassium: 1163mg | Fiber: 1gram | Sugar: 2gram | Vitamin A: 38International Union | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutritional information is calculated automatically and should only be used as an approximation.
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