-
1
Cook the Rice and Peas
25 Mins
Boiling water, 100°C (212°F)
Cook 500 g of dry rice in salted water until just tender, about 18 minutes, then drain and spread it on a tray to cool. Boil the peas for 3 minutes, drain and cool them the same way. The rice must be completely cool before it goes near the pork.
Spread the rice thin on a tray: it cools in minutes instead of steaming itself soft in a pile.
Done when: Rice tender but separate, peas bright green, both fully cool.
-
2
Season the Pork and Mix the Stuffing
20 Mins
Medium heat, about 160°C (320°F)
Heat the oil in a pan and cook the onion with half the garlic for 5 minutes until soft. Tip into a big bowl with the cooled rice and peas, the cumin and half the salt and pepper, and mix well. Rub the rest of the garlic, salt and pepper all over the pork, inside and out, and rub the lard over the skin.
Taste the stuffing and season it boldly — it is the only seasoning the rice will ever get.
Done when: Stuffing well mixed and well seasoned; pork rubbed all over, skin glossy with lard.
-
3
Stuff, Sew and Tie the Roast
25 Mins
No cooking heat; work at room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Lay the pork skin-side down and spread the stuffing over it in an even layer, leaving a 3 cm border. Roll it up tightly, tucking the stuffing in as you go, then tie it firmly with kitchen string every 8 cm. Fold the ends in and tie them too, so no rice escapes during the long roast.
Tie it tighter than you think: the stuffing swells as it cooks, and a loose roll bursts open in the oven.
Done when: A firm, even roll with no stuffing poking out and string holding it at every interval.
-
4
Roast Low and Slow
240 Mins
Oven, 180°C (350°F)
Place the roll seam-side down in a deep roasting tray, add 250 ml of water to the tray, and cover tightly with foil. Roast at 180°C (350°F) for 4 hours, until the meat is spoon-tender and a thermometer in the centre of the stuffing reads 74°C (165°F). Baste once an hour with the tray juices.
Keep the foil tight for the whole 4 hours: it is the steam inside that makes the meat fall apart.
Done when: Meat tender enough to pull with a fork; stuffing centre at 74°C (165°F).
-
5
Crisp the Skin
30 Mins
Oven, 220°C (425°F)
Remove the foil, brush the skin with the tray juices, and raise the oven to 220°C (425°F). Roast for 30 minutes more, until the skin is deep golden and crackles when tapped. If any spot stays soft, give it a few minutes under the grill, watching it constantly.
Dry skin crisps, wet skin steams: pat the skin dry with paper before this last blast of heat.
Done when: Skin deep golden, hard and crackling, with no soft or pale patches.
-
6
Rest and Carve
20 Mins
Rest at room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Lift the roll out, tent it loosely with foil and rest it for 20 minutes so the juices settle. Cut away the string, slice the roll thickly, and chop the slices into bite-sized pieces, mixing a little crispy skin into each portion. Serve each plate with a spoon of the golden stuffing rice.
Resting is not optional: carving hot sends the juices running out and leaves the meat dry.
Done when: Slices holding their shape, skin still crisp, rice golden and steaming.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve it family-style on a big platter, chopped and mixed, with the crackling broken over the top — lechona is a celebration dish, and it should arrive at the table looking like one.
Colombia
2h
