Throw everything in the pot, then come home to the most delicious slow cooker Cuban Pork aka Lechon Asado. The recipe for the best marinade and beans included. Low effort, maximum satisfaction.
Need more Tex-Mex in your life? Try my Best Taco Meat recipe!
Would you like to save this recipe?
We'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
This recipe is an attempt to recreate a delicious Cuban roast pork from a local restaurant. Tender, melt in your mouth pork with rice and black beans, which served topped with fried plantains is one of our guilty pleasures.
It’s the type of a meal that feels like you’ve come home. Even if you’ve never eaten it before, it’s easy to fall in love with. It’s the best of comfort food!
Lechon Asado
Cuban roast pork packs an incredible flavour. And don’t even get me started on the texture!
For the most part it is tender and juicy pork. But once in a while you’d come across a slightly crispy bit made by being too close to the edge of a roasting pan. Finding a few of those on your plate feels like winning a lottery!
Although traditionally roasted in an oven or even grilled in a covered grill, I was set on using a slow cooker. It’s easy, convenient, and it makes delicious food accessible to everyone!
I thrilled to see that the pork came out beautifully. And the texture was spot on. But I wasn’t willing to compromise on the crispy bits!
One of the things you can do to re-create the crispy bits is to spread your pork on a baking sheet and put it under a broiler (grill in the UK) for a minute or so. Watch your meat carefully, though, so it doesn’t burn!
Pork marinade
Without a doubt, the most important part of this recipe is the marinade. A mixture of citrus, onions, garlic, oregano, black peppercorns and olive oil gives the pork incredible flavour while also tenderising it.
I leave it to marinate in my fridge overnight for the flavour to fully develop. The following morning, simply add the pork with the marinade to your slow cooker and leave slow cooking till dinner.
Hassle free cooking at its best!
Cuban black beans
Black beans are a common feature in much of Latin American cooking and Cubans make them as well as anyone. They lie at the heart of Cuban cuisine as a flavourful, cheap and nutritious food that will compliment many other dishes.
Normally you will find it served over rice with a hit of acid from a slice of lime. The Cuban version is fairly soupy but still quite creamy and with no shortage of flavour. Of course, they can be made thicker if you prefer and will naturally thicken up if given time.
I am happy to enjoy a meal with just these Cuban black beans served over rice, but also think that they compliment slow cooked pork beautifully. And although it might not be traditional, they are amazing as a topping for a baked potato or when served with nachos!
Recipe tips and notes
- A slow cooker makes wonderfully tender and juicy meat, but if you would like some crispy bits, spread the pork on a baking sheet and place it under the broiler (grill in the UK) for one minute or so. You will need to keep an eye on it so that it doesn’t burn!
- It’s important to choose the right cuts of meat for pulled pork recipes, and pork butt (shoulder in the UK) or leg joints are the ones to look for. These cuts have the right level of fat content to result in tender, moist meat when cooked slowly. There should also be no skin on it as it will prevent flavours from permeating the meat.
- I used a food processor in my recipe to prepare the marinade but it is not essential. You can easily do it by hand.
- While the bean recipe is not necessary to serve alongside your pork it is highly recommended!
Serving Suggestions
Cuban pork is usually served with rice and beans. I’ve also included the recipe for the beans below. It’s a simple, very inexpensive and an utterly delicious side dish to your pork.
Or wrap it up in a tortilla as a truly amazing burrito filling!
If you can track down plantains, slice and fry those up and add to your pork and beans! Finish with a wedge of lime to add a citrus hit.
Storage and leftovers
This Slow Cooker Cuban Pork recipe produces quite a large amount of meat and the good news is it freezes beautifully! It will keep well in your freezer for up to 1 month.
Or keep it in the fridge for up to four days. It’s absolutely amazing in a quesadilla! Or in the famous Cuban sandwich.
More favourite pork recipes
Slow Cooker Cuban Pork
Ingredients
For the Slow Cooker Cuban Pork
- 2kg/4-5 lbs pork butt (shoulder – UK) or leg joint
- 20 cloves of garlic
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 cup/250ml freshly squeezed orange juice
- ½ cup/125ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 medium onions
- 1 tsp oregano
- ½ cup/125ml This is an affiliate link.olive oil
For the Cuban Black Beans
- 1 tbsp This is an affiliate link.olive oil
- 6-8 slices(100g) bacon chopped
- 1 green pepper chopped
- 1 onion chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 This is an affiliate link.bay leaf
- ¼ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp oregano
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 800g(28oz) canned black beans
- salt to taste
- 85ml/1/3 cup This is an affiliate link.chicken stock
Instructions
For the Slow Cooker Cuban Pork
- In a food processor or a blender combine garlic, salt, smashed peppercorns, orange and lemon juice, onions and oregano. Process until smooth.
- Heat ½ cup of olive oil in a saucepan, the oil should be hot but not deep frying temperature hot. Take it off the heat and stir in the contents of the food processor and keep stirring to avoid burning.
- Pour the mixture on the pork and let it marinate overnight. In the morning put the pork together with the marinade in a slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.
- At the end of cooking time pull pork with two forks and mix it well with the juices.
For the Cuban Black Beans
- In a large pan cook chopped bacon with a tablespoon of olive oil. If your bacon is very fatty omit oil.
- Add chopped onion and green pepper and cook over low hear for 7-10 minutes until tender. Add garlic, bay leaf, cumin and oregano and stir fry for 1-2 minutes. Then add red wine vinegar, black beans, salt to taste and stock, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook on low for 15 minutes.
- Serve pork and beans with long grain rice.
