(WSVN) - Nochebuena is the celebration of the night before Christmas, which is celebrated in many Hispanic households, and few dishes are more representative of this tradition than a succulent Cuban-style roast pork. It’s what’s cooking, as we grab a Bite with Belkys.

The Dish: Cuban-Style Roast Pork
The Chef: Belkys Nerey
The Tradition: Nochebuena

Ingredients:
4-6 lbs. pork shoulder
4 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons dry oregano
4 teaspoons pepper
1 whole head of garlic, large (minimum 10 big cloves)
1 large yellow onion
½ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons kosher salt
½ cup lemon juice (juice of about 3 lemons)
½ cup sour orange mix or sour orange juice (about 4-6 sour oranges)
1 lime (cut into wedges) for garnish

Method of Preparation:

Dry the pork well with paper towels. Poke holes in the pork carefully with a knife.
Combine cumin, dry oregano, pepper and garlic cloves in a food processor. Drizzle in 1 tablespoon of olive oil to make a paste. Reserve half the paste.
Combine lemon juice, sour orange and olive oil, half the reserved dry ingredients and whisk together. Pour half over the pork on all sides.
Rub the remaining dry ingredients over the pork on all sides and into the poked holes, then rub salt all over the pork. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight (or at least 2 hours).
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Take pork out of refrigerator and let it rest at least an hour to room temperature.
Put the pork in a roasting pan skin side down if you bought it with skin. Add 1/3 cup of water to the pan and cover it loosely with foil.
Baste the pork with remaining mojo every 2 hours and recover loosely.
Cook the pork at least 5 hours. Use meat thermometer to ensure pork is at least 165 degrees.
Remove it from the oven and let it rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing. It should be tender and easy to pull apart.

To Plate:

Slice onions and sauté in pan drippings. Serve over sliced pork. Add lime wedges for garnish if desired.

Serves: 8-12

Cuban-Style Roast Pork/ Belkys

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