Colombian Lechona Recipe
Colombian Lechona is a dish made from a whole pig, deboned and marinated, then stuffed with a mixture of rice, peas, onions, and spices. It’s roasted until the meat is tender, and the skin turns crispy.
Ingredients
- Whole pig (cleaned and deboned) - 1
- Rice - 6 cups
- Peas - 2 cups
- Carrots (diced) - 2 cups
- Potatoes (diced) - 2 cups
- Onions (finely chopped) - 3
- Garlic (minced) - 6 cloves
- Cumin - 4 tbsp
- Achiote powder - 4 tbsp
- Salt - to taste
- Pepper - to taste
- Oil - 1/2 cup
Instructions
- First, mix together the minced garlic, ground cumin, achiote powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
- Marinate the meat by rubbing the mixture all over the inside and outside of the deboned pig. Let it marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnight in the refrigerator.
- Cook the rice according to package instructions.
- In a large bowl, mix together the cooked rice, peas, and the chopped carrots, potatoes, and onions to use as stuffing.
- Season the stuffing with salt and pepper to taste.
- Stuff the pig with the rice mixture, packing it tightly to fill the cavity.
- Sew or use kitchen twine to close the opening securely.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Place the stuffed pig on a roasting pan or in a large baking dish.
- Roast the pig in the preheated oven for about 8 hours, or until the skin is crispy and the meat is cooked through. Baste the pig occasionally with its own juices or with a mixture of oil and water to keep it moist.
- Once cooked, remove the pig from the oven and let it rest for about 15-20 minutes before serving.
- Serve the Lechona hot, slicing it into portions along with the stuffing.
Nutrition
Calories: 169kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 4gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 47mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2g
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