Asado Huilense: Traditional Huilense Roasted Pork
Asado Huilense is the undisputed king of festive dishes in the Huila department, prepared almost exclusively for the grand Festival de San Pedro. It is a deeply aromatic pork roast defined by an incredibly complex, herbaceous marinade.
The secret to this spectacular recipe is patience. The pork must be deeply pierced and left to marinate in a beer and sour orange brine packed with over a dozen herbs and spices for a full 24 hours. Slow-roasted in a clay pot for 4 hours, the meat becomes fall-apart tender and immensely flavorful.
Asado Huilense (Traditional Huilense Roasted Pork)
The star of the San Pedro festival! Pork roast marinated for 24 hours in beer, sour orange, and a heavy blend of aromatic herbs, then slow-roasted to perfection.
Ingredients
- 8 lbs Lean pork meat
- 3 cups Beer
- 1/2 cup Vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Sour orange juice
- 4 Scallion stalks Green onions
- 8 Garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon Basil
- 1 teaspoon Cilantro
- 1 teaspoon Mint Yerbabuena
- 1 teaspoon Pennyroyal Poleo
- 1 teaspoon Oregano
- 4 Bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon Thyme
- 2 teaspoons Allspice Pimienta guayabita, toasted and ground
- 1 teaspoon Nutmeg
- Salt to taste
- Cumin to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the marinade: The very first step is to heavily pierce the pork meat all over with a knife to ensure maximum flavor absorption. In a large bowl, mix the beer, vinegar, sour orange juice, chopped scallions, crushed garlic, salt, and all the specified herbs and spices to create a wet brine.
- Marinate: Submerge the pierced pork entirely in this aromatic brine. Let it marinate in the refrigerator for a minimum of 24 hours. It is highly recommended to rub and turn the meat every 6 hours so the mixture penetrates evenly.
- Slow roast: After 24 hours, transfer the meat along with all its brine into a large clay pot (tiesto de barro) or a deep, heavy baking dish. Place it in a preheated oven at 250°F (120°C) and let it slow-roast for exactly 4 hours until beautifully tender and caramelized on top.
- Serve: Remove the roast from the oven, slice it, and serve immediately alongside traditional regional sides!
Notes
- Traditional Cooking Method: While this recipe uses a standard oven, traditionally, this roast is cooked in wood-fired clay ovens, which imparts a spectacular, irreplaceable smoky flavor.
- Temperature Check: In traditional Huilense cooking, locals use the técnica del toreador to check the wood oven’s temperature. They place a wet sack at the mouth of the oven; if the heat dries and toasts the sack quickly, the temperature is perfectly ready for the pork.
- Classic Pairings: To truly eat this like a local during the festival, the roast must be served alongside insulsos (sweet corn doughs), arepas orejeperro (thin, floppy arepas), boiled cassava, and envueltos de maduro (sweet plantain wraps).
You may also be interested
Mamona o Ternera a la Llanera: The Ultimate Colombian Cowboy BBQ