Roast Pork - Puerco Asado

The flavor of this South American-style pork roast is incredible and the crisp outer skin is unbeatable just for the sheer enjoyment of the mouthfeel and taste.

Recipe Ingredients:

1 cup fresh lime juice - divided use
2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher or sea salt - divided use
1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 (8-pound) bone-in fresh pork picnic shoulder with skin
3 cups water
6 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Cooking Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. In a bowl stir together 1/4 cup lime juice, garlic, 1 tablespoon salt, oregano, and cumin.
3. Pat pork dry and with a sharp knife make 1-inch-long by 3/4-inch-deep incisions 2-inches apart in pork skin. Push about 1 teaspoon garlic mixture into each incision and rub remainder on ends not covered with skin.
4. Transfer pork to a large roasting pan and pour remaining lime juice around pork. Roast pork, uncovered, in middle of oven until most of juice is evaporated and brown bits begin to form on bottom of pan, about 30 minutes.
5. In a bowl stir together water and vinegar and pour mixture around pork. Cover pan tightly with foil and roast 1 hour.
6. Remove cover and baste meat only, not skin, with pan juices ; cover and bake for 1 hour.
7. With sharp knife gently loosen skin from meat (without cutting through skin) and baste meat under skin with pan juices. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 tablespoon salt over skin and roast pork, uncovered, basting meat (not skin) every 20 minutes, 1 1/2 hours more, or until skin is crisp.
8. Transfer pork to a cutting board, reserving pan juices, and let stand 20 minutes. Skim fat from reserved pan juices.
9. Cut pork into thin slices and serve with pan juices.

Makes 16 servings.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1 1/6 of recipe): 326.4 calories; 40% calories from fat; 14.1g total fat; 147.4mg cholesterol; 716.9mg sodium; 813.7mg potassium; 2.4g carbohydrates; 0.2g fiber; 0.3g sugar; 2.2g net carbs; 45.0g protein.

Recipe by Hope Cantil; copyright © 1999; property of CooksRecipes.com. See Terms of Use.