recipe for slow-braised cuban pork

here is the recipe for the cuban pork served over this weekend at the request of anne (the dessert lady) and the benefit of francesco (so his wifey can make it for him). =)

it is an adaptation of ted allen's recipe from his cookbook, "the food you want to eat." credit also goes to my chef friend, paul tang, for inspiring me to do a slow braise vs. dry roast to make an extremely tender and moist pork roast that succulently fell apart at the slightest piercing of a fork.

purchase a 3-4 lbs boneless pork shoulder that has already been tied into a roast. alternatively, you can find boneless pork shoulder cuts at asian/latin markets at a cheaper price (about $.50 less per pound) and tie it yourself with butcher string. both work well. the pork butt and boston butt cuts are the same as shoulder, all possessing a large amount of fat and sinew that just melts away into the roast keeping it moist, tender and flavorful. other cuts such as pork belly or loin won't work as well for this recipe.

using a paring knife, make small slits in intervals into the meat and place in a shallow pan.

combine the following in a chopper/processor:
1/2 c fresh oregeno leaves (don't use dried)
6-8 garlic cloves
2.5 T kosher salt (if using regular salt, cut back to 2 T, kosher is lighter)
several cranks of the pepper mill
enough olive oil to create a paste

rub the oregeno marinade into the roast, pushing the bits into the slits. place in a large ziploc bag and add 3-4 T wine vinegar. seal the bag and massage the meat to get the vinegar going. the let it marinate in the fridge overnight, turning once.


the next day, preheat the oven to 350* and place the roast, marinade and all in a roasting pan. slice 4 ripe and sweet oranges in half and squeeze their juice into the pan. throw the orange halves directly in the pan. add enough chicken stock to cover about a 1/2 inch. cover tightly with foil, place in the center of the oven, and let braise for anywhere between 3-5 hours.

after the 3rd hour, take a peek into the pan to see how color is developing. you want to see a medium caramel color forming and there should be liquid in the pan still. adjust time based on that. use the fork test to check for doneness. aka when you stick a fork into the roast and pull towards you, it will slowly and succulently shred apart. at this point, keep it covered, take it out and let rest for 10 min until you're ready to serve. using kitchen shears, cut the strings and pull the roast apart with two forks. let the meat soak up the remaining liquid in the pan for 5 min.


the oranges add a wonderful sweet note and subtle bitterness at the same time, cutting the fattiness of the pork. very succulent. you can serve with warm corn tortillas and fresh guacamole, but don't overdose on the toppings as you want the pork to shine through.


if you want to use the dry roast method to serve juicy, tender slices of meat, see this post:
http://wednesdaynitedinner.blogspot.com/2006/09/roasted-pork-shoulder-pernil-with.html

rating: 5 out of 5 porkchops