Puerco Asado [Video+Recipe] Pernil or Lechón Asado (Pork Roast)

Puerco asado, lechon asado, o pernil asado, are all names for the classic Dominican Christmas pork roast, the star dish of the holidays, dating back centuries. Learn how to make the best lechon asado with our easy guide.

📝 Ingredients

• 1/2 cup pitted green olives
• 1/2 cup capers
• 1 large red onion
• 1 head garlic (large, peeled)
• 4 tablespoons oregano (dry, ground)
• 2 tablespoons pepper (freshly-cracked, or ground)
• 2 cubanela (cubanelle pepper) ( or green bell pepper, diced)
• 1/3 cup lime juice (or sour orange juice (AKA Seville orange, or bitter orange))
• 4 tablespoons kosher salt ((sea salt without iodine))
• 12 pound pork ([5.5 kg] (bone-in leg of ham, or shoulder))
• 3 tablespoons kosher salt ((crushed sea salt without iodine))

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1--- 1. Making seasoning ---
2. 2Making seasoning: In a blender, combine and blend together all the ingredients for the seasoning (green olives, capers, chopped onion, peeled garlic cloves, black pepper, cubanelle pepper, lime juice, and kosher salt) to obtain a coarse paste.
3. 3--- 2. Seasoning meat ---
4. 4Seasoning meat: Place the leg of ham on a baking tray skin side down. Carve deep holes in the meat on the opposite side of the skin. Keep a distance of about 3 inches between each hole. Don't perforate the skin.Using a teaspoon, stuff the holes with the seasoning mixture, pour on the leg, and spread over the remaining seasoning (the side opposite to the skin).
5. 5--- 3. Resting ---
6. 6Resting: Cover the leg tightly with aluminum foil and refrigerate for 24 hours.
7. 7--- 4. Getting ready for oven ---
8. 8Getting ready: Place skin-side-up on a roast tray lined with aluminum foil, and with a wire rack (see notes). Pat dry the skin with paper towels. Rub the skin with kosher salt. Cover the leg loosely with aluminum foil.Heat the oven to 350°F [175°C].
9. 9--- 5. Roasting ---
10. 10Roasting: Cook in the oven 20 minutes per lb of meat, or until the internal temperature reaches 75 °C [165 °F], start measuring at 4 hrs cooking time for a 12 lb leg, inserting the tip of the meat thermometer reaching the center of the leg.Once cooked per the instructions above, remove the aluminum foil and return to the oven to cook until the skin is golden brown. If you prefer the skin bubbly, and crackly, finish cooking in the broiler.
11. 11--- 6. Serving ---
12. 12Serving: Remove from the oven, cover with a clean tea towel, and let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes before serving. If you wish to keep it warm without it drying out, you can place it in an icebox after resting, and serve it up to two hours later.