Lechon Asado is some of the best pork we have ever had. It's slow-roasted pork that has been marinated overnight in creole spices and mojo! It's such a tradition and staple of the Puerto Rican culture, they even have a pilgrimage to some of the best lechoneras on the island. This pilgrimage is known as the Ruta de Lechon. We encourage visitors to the island to take the Sunday afternoon drive to Guavate. It's a scenic drive with winding roads through the mountainous region of the island.
We have had our fair share of Lechon since we have been here and were craving some old fashioned southern smoked BBQ pork. We have lived in Nashville, TN for the last 20 years and it was in Nashville at the age of 24 I was first introduced to Pulled pork. I was instantly hooked. There are several differences in the preparation and cooking of the pork shoulder. Most pulled pork recipes call for an overnight marinade of apple cider vinegar and apple juice. I'm, sure there are variations of this marinade, but these are the main ingredients. Next is the dry rub which is a mix of spices that is directly applied and worked into the pork shoulder. Lastly, the pork shoulder is placed in a smoker which smokes and cooks the meat over a period of time. Different types of woods can influence the smoky flavor of the meat.
Another aspect of southern BBQ is the BBQ sauce. Being the base marinade and preparation of the meat is the same, sometimes I have found the only difference to be in the Sauce. Every BBQ joint has there own unique blend of sauces with various levels of heat and spiciness infusion. In our version, we substituted some of the tomato bases with Guava Paste. This added a bit of Caribbean flair to our traditional southern smoked pork shoulder.
Hope you enjoyed our brief video and blog! Here is a link to the recipe we used with our own variation on the BBQ sauce. If you're ever down in San Juan, Puerto Rico come and give us a visit!
Buen Provecho!
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