Puerco Asado, December 6, 2017

Yesterday, I remembered in time that I meant to marinate my pork roast so we could have puerco asado for supper. The smell permeated the kitchen even before I started cooking it, making it smell like nochebuena, Christmas Eve. My wife had urged me to buy some plantains and hoped I would make something yummy and Cuban. Fried pork chunks, masitas de puerco, is my very favorite Cuban dish, but this one is much less labor-intensive, so I tend to make it a lot more often. As usual, I served it with black beans, white rice, fried ripe plantains (maduros)--although, they could have been sweeter and more to my liking if they'd had a few more days to ripen--and a butter lettuce salad with avocado slices and sweet onion slivers. I could just put the dressing in a glass and drink it--or pour it over my pork, which is what I did last night. This pork is also great with mojo criollo to accompany it. Yum! For the dressing, simply whisk together about 1/2 c. Spanish olive oil with the juice of 1 lemon until it emulsifies. Season with salt and pepper.

Cuban Puerco Asado

5 lb. pork loin

4-5 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp. oregano

Salt & pepper

1/4 c. lime juice

1/4 c. orange juice

1/4 c. Spanish olive oil (non-Spanish okay, too)

1 c. dry red wine

Several hours before cooking, score the pork all over with a knife. Pound the garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper into a paste. Rub all over pork roast. Add juices, oil, and wine to the roast (I use a large ziploc bag) and marinate a minimum of 2 hours. Overnight is even better. Make sure you turn it every so often. 

I love black beans over white (usually jasmine, for me, but I used basmati last night because we find ourselves with oceans of it and I was able to locate it more quickly than the jasmine rice) rice. I would cheerfully eat it with a salad as a tasty lunch. I like to sprinkle mine with some chopped onions. My wife likes shredded cheese on hers. I very seldom make my black beans from dry beans. If that's your thing, go ahead and start them soaking when you start the pork marinating the night before. Otherwise, here's a cheater version I usually use:

Quick & Easy Black Beans

1/2 c. Spanish olive oil (again, any good quality olive oil is fine)

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

2 cans blqck beans (not drained)

1 tsp. cumin

A few dashes hot sauce (if you like it)

1 tbsp. red wine vinegar (also optional, but I think it really brightens it)

Salt & pepper

Chopped onions (garnish)

Heat oil. Cook the garlic, onions, & pepper until they are soft. Add rest and heat through. Serves 4-6.