I never had made a pork roast until after I met my husband. Being that he’s Cuban means it’s just in his blood. The first time I tried it was at my mother-in-law’s house and it was amazing! Year after year I had eaten it and finally decided to watch what how she prepared it and figure out if there was some sort of secret to it. Since then, I have tried to replicate the same taste and although I don’t think I ever will, I have come pretty close.

Here are my steps to making the perfect, mouthwatering pork roast. I don’t use any particular pork roast recipe, but just season, marinade, and roast all day long. I know there are some recipes out there that call for different sauces or even soda but I have always used this method that I’m about to explain and it’s never let me down.

Ingredients

3 lb pork butt or shoulder

Salt (to taste)

Pepper (to taste)

Garlic, minced (about 6 cloves)

Garlic powder (to taste)

Cumin (to taste)

Onion Powder (to taste)

Oregano (to taste)

(1) bottle of Goya Marinade (** I rotate and use the Goya Criollo and the Goya Naranja Agria**)

Fresh limes (to squeeze on to your individual pork servings, if desired) **I highly suggest it. It makes the pork. 😉

Step one

Let me first say that all of the seasonings in this recipe have no real measurement. I just put on what we like as far as taste so you should do the same. The first thing I do is rinse off the pork roast. This is really optional because I know that people have different feelings about rinsing their meats or poultry but I always rinse it. 😉 If you chose to rinse it, pat it dry with some paper towels afterwards. Use a container that is big enough to hold the pork along with the marinade.

Step two

After patting the pork dry, use a sharp knife and stab it all over. Go crazy! The more holes you can make the better. Once you have done that, take the fresh minced garlic and rub it all over pushing it into the holes, too. Follow that by sprinkling it heavily with all of the seasonings. (cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt, pepper) Again, how much of the seasonings you want to use it up to you. I season mine heavily.

Step three

Once everything is seasoned, take the bottle of marinade and pour it all over the roast. Cover the container and allow it to marinate overnight. I usually flip my roast every few hours or at least once before I go to bed to give both sides of the roast a chance to sit in the marinade liquid.

Step four

In the morning, place the pork roast in a roasting pan and pour the remaining marinade in with it. I usually sprinkle with a little more salt, too. Cover well with foil. You want to create steam inside. The roast should cook low and slow. That’s the secret. 😉 I put the oven on 300 degrees for about two hours. Then, I raise the temperature up to 350 and it will stay at that temp for the next 7-8 hours. Remember, low and slow. Check the pork after around five hours and poke it with a fork. If it’s tender enough for you, then you can jump to the next step. If not, keep it cooking at 350 and check it periodically.

Step five

Once it’s fork tender, take the foil off and raise the oven temperature to 425. At this point, you want to brown the pork. It will take about 30 minutes to brown. After it’s browned to your liking, turn off the heat and that’s it.

I would let the pork sit for about 15-20 minutes or so before cutting into it so the pork has a chance to reabsorb the juices. If you follow those directions, you will end up with a tender, delicious pork roast every time. We usually pair our pork roast with black beans and rice, salad, and some rolls. Yummy! Now, I want some. Good thing I have that on my meal planner for this week. 🙂

If you try this recipe, let me know what you think. If you have any questions, I’d be happy to answer them for you. Or, if you have any suggestions or other ways to make a pork roast, I’d love to hear them.