Puerco Asado

As a Cuban, one of my favorite meats is pork and this is one of my favorite ways to eat pork. Last week, Jeannene came home with a pork roast and asked me to make puerco asado for dinner the next day, "please, please, please." I actually had a can of Goya's black bean soup on hand, to serve over rice. I did not have plantains for maduros, nor did I have any of Goya's frozen maduros, so we were bereft of those. However, the deliciousness of the avocado & onion salad completed the meal nicely. The simple Cuban-style vinaigrette is a fabulous way to dress a simple salad. This meal is my traditional go-to for our Nochebuena feast every year, with the addition of fried yuca.

Puerco Asado

5 lb. boneless pork loin

4 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp. oregano

Salt & pepper

1/4 c. lime juice

1/4 c. orange juice

1/2 c. olive oil

A few bay leaves

In the morning, or even the night before, prick the roast all over with a knife. Mash the garlic and oregano into a paste, using a mortar & pestle (if you don't have these, you can process it in a food processor). Rub the pork with the garlic paste, salt, & pepper. Mix the liquids together in a large ziploc bag. Add the pork roast and bay leaves. Marinate at least 4 hours, turning several times. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove roast from bag and pat dry. Discard bay leaves, but save the marinade. Roast pork about 2 1/2 hours, to a 165 degree internal temperature, pouring reserved marinade over the roast about halfway through cooking and basting often. When cooked, tent with foil on serving platter and allow to rest about 10 minutes. Serves 8. 

For the avocado salad, I like to use butter lettuce (torn into bite-size pieces), avocado slices, and sweet onion slices. The dressing is 1/4 c. olive oil (Spanish is best for this, but not essential), 1/8 c. lime juice, 1/8 c. white wine vinegar (apple cider or red wine is fine, as well), salt & pepper, whisked together. That makes enough for 4-6 salads.