The Ultimate Pork Asado Recipes

PORK ASADO RECIPE

Steps:

• Combine soy sauce, five spice powder, garlic and salt then mix well.
• Marinade the pork in the combined mixture for at least 1 hour.Heat a cooking pot then put-in the pork along with the marinade and water then let boil.
• Add bay leaf and star anise.Add brown sugar and stir to distribute evenly.
• Simmer for about 40 minutes flipping the meat after 20 minutes or so to tenderize the other side.
• If sauce dries and pork is not yet done, add more water. Boil over low fire until sauce thickens.
• Turn off the heat and remove the meat from the cooking pot.
• Allow the meat to rest for about 10 minutes then slice.
• Transfer to a serving plate and top with the thick sauce.
• Garnish with parsley or spring onions cut into 1″ long sprigs. Best when served with pickled papaya.

CHINESE-STYLE PORK ASADO

Steps:

• Heat oil in a pot over medium heat. Sear the pork shoulder slab on all sides just until lightly browned. Remove meat from oil and set aside.
• From the same pot with oil, saute garlic and onion until limp and aromatic.
• Add back the meat. Pour in soy sauce and cooking rice wine and add the brown sugar and five-spice powder and cook until sugar has caramelized.
• Pour in water enough to cover the meat. Cover pot with lid and let it simmer over low heat until meat is fork-tender.
• Remove cover and turn the heat to medium-high to reduce the liquids. Add the cornstarch slurry and simmer until the sauce becomes thick.
• Take the meat from the sauce and let it rest for 10 minutes on a cutting board. Slice the pork into thin slices.
• Arrange the slices on a serving dish. Drizzle the thick sweet-savory sauce on top of the meat and serve while still warm.

PORK ASADO

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine calamansi juice, soy sauce, onions, garlic, and peppercorns. Whisk until distributed.
• Add pork and massage marinade on the meat. Marinate in the refrigerator for about 2 to 4 hours. Drain meat, reserving liquid, onions, and garlic.
• In a wide, thick-bottomed pan over medium heat, heat oil. Add potatoes and cook until tender and lightly browned. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.
• Add pork and sear on all sides until lightly browned. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.
• Remove excess oil except for about 2 tablespoons. Add the reserved onions and garlic (from the marinade) and cook until softened.
• Add the reserved marinade, scraping sides and bottom of the pan to deglaze.
• Add tomato sauce, water, and bay leaf. Stir to combine.
• Add pork. Bring to a boil, skimming any scum that floats on top.
• Lower heat, cover, and simmer until meat is fork-tender With a slotted spoon, remove and set aside.
• Add liver spread to the sauce and stir to distribute.
• Continue to cook until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Slice pork into serving slices and arrange on a platter. Garnish with fried potatoes and pour sauce on top. Serve hot.

CUBAN GRILLED PORK (LECHON ASADO)

Steps:

• Prepare the marinade
• Mix all marinade ingredients in a bowl and let sit for 10 minutes.
• Marinate the pork
• If using a flavor injector (see cooking notes), strain half the marinade into a bowl, adding the strained-out garlic to the other half of the marinade. Use the injector to take in some strained marinade, pierce the pork with the tip of the needle, and inject it into the flesh. Do this all over the meat until the strained marinade has been used up.
• If you are not using a flavor injector, use a long, thin knife to create deep gashes all over the flesh and pour the marinade over the pork.
• Place the marinated pork in a deep bowl or container. Generously season the outside of the pork with salt and pour the remaining marinade all over it, spreading the onion rings all over the top.
• Cover well with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
• Boil the marinade for basting
• Remove the pork from the marinade and place it on a platter. Transfer the marinade to a saucepan, add the onions, and bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Place the boiled marinade and onions in a blender and puree until smooth. The marinade is now ready to use as a basting liquid.
• Grill the pork
• Before heating your grill, remove the pork from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature.
• Heat your grill to 550°F and close the lid. Wait at least 15 minutes before lowering the temperature to 300°F. Oil the grill grates with a vegetable oil-soaked paper towel held with a long pair of tongs.
• If your cut has the skin still attached, begin the cooking process with the skin side up (away from the direct heat).
• Grill your meat about 2 1/2 hours total. Turn the meat over once when you are one quarter through with the cooking time, again when you are halfway through, and once more when three-quarters of the cooking time has elapsed. The pork is ready when it reaches an internal temperature of 150°F on the grill (it will continue to cook when it's off the heat, raising the internal temperature to the desired 160°F).

ASADO DE PUERCO (MEXICAN PORK STEW)

Steps:

• Combine pork cubes, 1/2 cup water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a Dutch oven. Cover and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly, until water evaporates. Continue cooking until the pork browns in its rendered fat, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cut tops off the dried chiles and remove seeds. Heat chiles in a large skillet over low heat until they start to soften. Do not toast. Place chiles in a bowl of hot water and soak for 20 minutes.
• Remove pork and set aside. Do not wash, wipe out, or clean the Dutch oven.
• Transfer chiles to a blender, reserving soaking water. Add cilantro, chicken bouillon, peppercorns, garlic, cinnamon stick, Mexican oregano, thyme, cumin seeds, bay leaves, and cloves. Pour in 1 cup soaking water and blend until smooth. Add 1 more cup soaking water, season with salt, and blend until completely smooth.
• Melt lard in the Dutch oven. Carefully add blended chile mixture and scrape up all browned bits. Bring to a boil and add pork. Reduce heat and cover partially, leaving about 1 inch open. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened and reaches the desired consistency, 15 to 20 minutes.

PERNIL ASADO (ROAST PORK, CARIBBEAN STYLE)

Steps:

• For the marinade: Mix together all ingredients and set aside to let flavors meld together.
• Procedure for the pernil. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash pork under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. With a sharp paring knife, pierce the flesh. Season with salt and pepper and rub sofrito all over, covering the entire piece of meat. Let marinate for no less than 2 hours but better if overnight. Place pork on an oven rack and place in roasting pan and add enough water to just cover bottom of pan. Put roasting rack in center of the oven and let cook for 20 minutes. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees and let cook until juices run clear. The pork should be firm to the touch. Take the pork out of the oven and let rest for about 10 to 15 minutes. Peel away the skin when cool enough to touch and save, for this is a traditional Caribbean delicacy. Slice meat into bite-size pieces and serve with arroz con gandules.

ASADO

Steps:

• Divide the pork shoulder into 4 pieces. Pat the pieces dry with paper towels and liberally season all over with salt.
• Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot (choose one with a lid, such as a Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Sear the pieces of pork on all sides until brown, working in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the pot. Transfer the pork to a plate and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pot.
• Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and garlic to the pot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes.
• Deglaze the pot with 4 cups water and the tomato sauce, then add the calamansi juice, soy sauce and bay leaf and stir to combine. Raise the heat to high and bring everything to boil. Add the browned pork and any juices that have accumulated back to the pot, and reduce the heat to medium-low. (You are looking for a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil.) Cover and simmer until the meat is tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Remove the pot from the heat and let the meat cool in the covered pot until it reaches room temperature.
• Transfer the meat to a separate container, leaving the braising liquid in covered pot. Refrigerate both overnight. The next day, skim the fat off the top of the liquid in the pot; discard the fat.
• Heat the braising liquid to a simmer. Add 1/4 cup of the grated cheese, if using, and the evaporated milk, stirring constantly until well incorporated. Taste and add more cheese if desired to add saltiness and thicken slightly. Season with salt, if needed, and keep warm over low heat.
• Slice the chilled pork shoulder into 1/4-inch slices, cutting against the grain of the meat. Place pork slices in the asado braising liquid and heat until warmed through. Serve hot.