Lechon Asado (Cuban Roast Pork)

Sorry to be M.I.A. lately, I was in North Carolina this past weekend visiting my grandfather, or DaddyMac as we refer to him (his name is Mac.) Though he is in an assisted living home and some days are not as good as others, he still has a great sense of humor and cracked us up on several occasions. My favorite was when he told me he was proud of me for being a half mommy, in reference to Dylan, my sister's 8 month old. I liked that term a lot. Though I love the term "aunt", I felt very honored to be thought of as a mommy to him. I will never come close to being the mommy he already has, she is beyond amazing with him, but it was still a thoughtful gesture. It was nice to be able to help out my sister while we were there. She was able to take a bath or two at the hotel, able to get ready without having to check on him every few minutes (he plays in his Pack n' Play while she gets ready, usually does well with that, but sometimes doesn't want be alone), and I even changed a couple diapers (just the pee ones, mommy can deal with the poo.) All in all, it was a really great trip and I was happy I got to spend time with all my family.

I made this recipe a couple days before I left. The game plan was to make it last for two separate recipes, which it would have had I found plablano peppers which seemed to be a hot item that week at the store. The first night we just ate it with some black beans and yellow rice, as pictured. The second recipe was going to be pork enchiladas with plablano sauce (still drooling over that idea), but that didn't go as planned. After a hard day at work and going to 3 separate grocery stores, I gave up and we ended up going out for Mexican. There is a new place down the street that is really good, and the beers are huge...just what I needed. Anyhow, I made this in the oven, cooking it on low heat for many hours, however, a crock pot could work just as easily (see Tips and Tricks for preparation). The flavors were amazing, and there was definitely enough for left overs and other recipes. Though the ingredients list is small, this isn't a quick recipe, but easy to make and I promise you won't be disappointed in the final dish.

Lechon Asado (Cuban Roast Pork)

• 3 pound pork shoulder
• 2 large oranges, juiced
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 lime, juiced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper

1. Mix together the orange, lime, and lemon juice with the garlic, salt and pepper in a large non-metal bowl.
2. Stab some holes into the pork with a knife and place in bowl with marinade.
3. Let marinade for 24 hours.
4. Remove from fridge and bring to about room temperature. This will ensure your meat will cook evenly. 
5. Preheat oven to 225 degrees.
6. Place in 9x13 baking dish, with marinade and cook for 8 to 9 hours, basting hourly with marinade.
7. Remove and reserve the juices. Shred pork with fork and pour juices over.
8. Serve and enjoy.

Tips and Tricks

• If you would like to use a crock pot, follow steps 1 through 4, then put in crock pot with marinade and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Remove and cook in over on 400 for 15 minutes until a crust has formed. Remove and follow step 7.
• Fresh oranges, limes, and lemons are a must. The flavor cannot be matched with bottled juices.
• If you are using a larger pork shoulder, double the amount of oranges, limes, lemons, garlic, salt and pepper.
• If you like your pork a bit more firm and not shredded, remove from the oven after 4 hours.