Cuban Pork Roast
We have had lots of cold, snow, freezing rain, and staying home happening in Portland for the last several days. There is nothing better than comfort food when you are stuck at home so I decided to give a Cuban pork roast a try this weekend. This pork smelled amazing while it roasted and the citrus and garlic flavors really made this pork shine. I served this shredded Cuban pork roast over white rice and along a side of Cuban black beans. It was a terrific meal that we all devoured! Perfect for all this cold weather!
How to Make a Cuban Pork Roast
Stab several different spots all over the pork shoulder then place the garlic slivers in all the holes. Place the pork in a large zip lock bag. Pour the orange juice, zest, lime juice, zest, finely chopped cilantro, oregano, garlic, cumin, sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, and olive oil in a bowl and mix well to combine.
Set aside (and refrigerate) 1/2 cup of the marinade (mojo sauce) for serving. Pour the remaining marinade over the pork. Place in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
Remove the pork from the refrigerator at least 1-2 hours before roasting. Also, set out the remaining reserved marinade (mojo sauce) on the counter so it can come to room temperature before serving along with the pork.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
Heat an oven-safe pot or Dutch oven with a heavy bottom over medium-high heat. Once hot, remove the pork from the marinade (reserve the marinade for cooking) and add it to the Dutch oven. Sear on all sides until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Turn off the stove and remove the pot from the heat. Allow the pork to cool down a bit, then pour in the reserved marinade + a cup of water. Place a lid on the pot and place it in the preheated oven.
Roast the pork for 2 hours then remove the lid and continue roasting for another 2-3 hours, or until the pork is falling off the bone and shreds easily.
Remove the shoulder bone and any fatty pieces from the meat then shred the pork in the pot and toss with the sauce in the pot. Serve with rice and black beans along with the remaining marinade (mojo sauce). Enjoy!
Side Note: If the top of your roast is getting too dark, add a loose tin foil tent to the top of the Dutch oven. Also, if at any point throughout the cooking process the liquid in the Dutch oven gets lower than 1 inch, add about 1/2 cup water to keep liquid in the pot.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3-4 lb bone-in pork shoulder
- 4 cloves of garlic slivered
- 1½ cups freshly squeezed orange juice + zest from 1 orange
- ½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice + zest from 1 lime
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro finely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh oregano finely chopped
- 7 cloves of garlic minced
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- ¼ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Stab several different spots all over the pork shoulder then place the garlic slivers in all the holes.
- Place the pork in a large zip lock bag.
- Pour the orange juice, zest, lime juice, zest, finely chopped cilantro, oregano, garlic, cumin, sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, and olive oil in a bowl and mix well to combine.
- Set aside (and refrigerate) 1/2 cup of the marinade (mojo sauce) for serving.
- Pour the remaining marinade over the pork.
- Place in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
- Remove the pork from the refrigerator at least 1-2 hours before roasting.
- Also, set out the remaining reserved marinade (mojo sauce) on the counter so it can come to room temperature before serving along with the pork.
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
- Heat an oven-safe pot or large Dutch oven with a heavy bottom over medium-high heat.
- Once hot, remove the pork from the marinade (reserve the marinade for cooking) and add it to the Dutch oven.
- Sear on all sides until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.
- Turn off the stove and remove the pot from the heat.
- Allow the pork to cool down a bit, then pour in the reserved marinade + a cup of water.
- Place a lid on the pot and place it in the preheated oven.
- Roast the pork for 2 hours then remove the lid and continue roasting for another 2-3 hours, or until the pork is falling off the bone and shreds easily.
- Remove the shoulder bone and any fatty pieces from the meat then shred the pork in the pot and toss with the sauce in the pot.
- Serve with rice and black beans along with the remaining marinade (mojo sauce). Enjoy!
- Side Note: If the top of your roast is getting too dark, add a loose tinfoil tent to the top of the Dutch oven. Also, if at any point throughout the cooking process the liquid in the Dutch oven gets lower than 1 inch, add about 1/2 cup water to keep liquid in the pot.
That pork looks outstanding! I’ve been noticing your weather on the news of late, and it’s worse than ours! Icy weather is nothing to mess with, so cooking delicious meals like this is a great program.
The pork roast looks literally melt-in-mouth delicious!
The pork looks delicious Pam and I think it would work well on one of our favorite sandwiches – a Cuban
This looks so good – so flavorful and succulent!
Daaaaaaang — I glanced at this the other day, so saw it took 2-3 hours to roast; missed the 24 hr marinating, the sitting out for 1-2 hours, and the other 2 hours of roasting! Guess Papa Murphy’s it is 😉
Can’t wait to actually try this.
Leftovers would be amazing for a Cubano!
I just left a comment about your Cuban Black Beans, Pam, so while I’m at it, I’ll leave a review of this pot roast.
IT’S FABULOUS. The citrus notes (I watch too many food shows and I’m picking up their lingo, sorry…) were really delicious and bright (sorry again).
I did not spread the meat because the pot roast, with the dark edges was so pretty that I left it in chunks.
Gorgeous presentation too.
Thanks, Pam!