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Puerto Rican Pork Roast

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Puerto Rican pork roast is a delicious main dish which is perfect for sharing. Keep in mind that the larger the pork, the longer it will take to cook it. For boneless pieces of meat, you can score them instead of cutting slits. Here we used yucca, which is a kind of sweet potato, feel free to put other vegetables if desired. It is a good idea to roast them in the pan along with the meat to increase flavor and to add moisture.

 

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 cloves garlic, peeled

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 1/2 teaspoons black pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

2 tablespoons olive oil

2.5 lb. pork picnic roast

3/4 yucca (cassava) roots, peeled and sliced

 

Preheat the oven at 425F and lightly grease a baking tray with oil.

Combine the garlic, salt, pepper, oregano and olive oil in a food processor or blender. Process it for one minute or until it becomes smooth. You may also use a mortar and pestle if desired.

With a sharp knife, make several small cuts on the pork roast. Place some garlic paste mixture in each slit using a small spoon. Put the pork roast on the greased pan and cover it.

Bake the pork roast for an hour and a half. Check its internal heat using a meat thermometer every fifteen minutes until the temperature reaches 175F.

While roasting the pork, place the yucca in a large pot of salted boiling water. Cook it for ten to fifteen minutes or until they are soft. Drain well.

Place the cooked pork roast and the boiled yucca in a serving platter. Serve immediately.

 

Image from Ms. President

Porchetta

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The traditional porchetta refers to deboned pork, marinated in spices and roasted over open fire made of wood. It is similar to the Filipino lechon and the Chinese roasted suckling pig.

This dish is usually served in festivals and picnics. Although, outside Italy it is commonly served with bread or  as a pulled pork sandwich.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

6 pounds butterflied pork shoulder

1/2 tablespoons coarse salt

1/2 tablespoons black peppercorns

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

1 tablespoon coriander

1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes

5 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon chopped rosemary

1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest

3 tablespoons Olive oil

3 bay leaves

10 slices pancetta or bacon

1/2 cup good red wine vinegar or white wine

First, toast the pepper, salt, fennel seeds, coriander and red pepper flakes in a small skillet under medium low heat. Once it becomes fragrant, pulse it in a blender or food processor for a minute until the ingredients become fine. Transfer it to a small bowl. Add the rosemary, orange zest, garlic and olive oil. Mix well to form a paste like mixture.

Rub the mixture on both sides of the pork and wrap it in cling wrap or place it in a zip-loc. Refrigerate it overnight or up to 3 days to let the meat absorb the flavour.

Preheat the oven to 350 (F) degrees.

Remove the pork from the fridge and let it stand for 15-20 minutes. After, remove the pork from the bag or cling wrap. Make sure to rub the remaining spices on the pork.

Roll the pork into a cylindrical shape. Wrap the pancetta around it and tie it with butcher twine (1 inch intervals). Place bay leaves under the twine.

Brush the roll with olive oil and wrap it loosely in foil.  Secure the foil well, so the juices stay inside. Place it on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 2-3 hours, depending on the size of the pork. You may baste it every hour in its own juices if you want to. Save the leftover oil or juices from roasting.

In a small saucepan, combine the red wine vinegar and juices from the pork. Reduce the wine until only 1/4 is left. This will serve as you sauce or vinaigrette.

Once it is ready, remove from oven and scrape off unwanted fat with a sharp knife and slice it into thin pieces.

Serve with green salad or mashed potatoes. The leftovers can be used to make pulled-pork sandwiches.

Photo Courtesy Of: Pedro Angelini