Main dishes
Colombian Lechona in the Oven: a Home-Friendly Recipe
Colombian lechona for a home oven: juicy pork, yellow split peas, fragrant rice and crackling skin. With timings and safe temperatures.
- Total time
- 980 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Cuisine
- Colombian
Ingredients
For the pork and marinade
For the filling
To assemble and bake
Method
Soak the peas the night before
Put the peas in a bowl and cover them with cold water, about three fingers above the peas. Soak for 8 to 12 hours. The next day, drain and rinse them.
Make the marinade
Mix the scallions, garlic, cumin, pepper, achiote, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 tablespoons of lard into a thick paste. It should smell intense but balanced; if the garlic dominates, add a little more scallion.
Marinate the pork and let it rest
Rub the paste over the shoulder pieces and over the meat side of the belly; keep the skin clean and dry. Cover the shoulder and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours. Leave the belly uncovered, skin side up, on the coldest shelf of the fridge: this dries the skin so it crisps later.
Cook the peas
Put the drained peas in a pot with 1.2 liters of water and ½ teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 35 to 45 minutes, until tender but still holding their shape. Drain and keep one cup of the cooking liquid.
Cook the rice to three-quarters
Sauté the rice for 1 minute in 1 tablespoon of lard. Add 500 ml of water or stock and ½ teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, cover and cook over low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed but the grain is still firm in the center. It will finish cooking in the oven.
Combine the filling
Mix the rice with the peas, the remaining lard and 3 to 4 tablespoons of the pea cooking liquid. The mixture should be moist, because it will absorb the pork juices. Taste and adjust the salt.
Assemble the dish
Heat the oven to 170 °C (340 °F). Pass the banana leaves over a flame for a few seconds to soften them, and line a deep dish with them, letting the edges hang over. Spread half of the filling, set the pork shoulder pieces with their juices on top and cover with the remaining filling. Place the pork belly on top, skin side up, and sprinkle the coarse salt over the skin.
Bake covered for 2 hours
Fold the leaves over the filling and cover the dish with aluminum foil, without letting it touch the skin of the belly. Bake at 170 °C (340 °F) for 2 hours. During this time the pork becomes tender and the rice finishes cooking.
Uncover and brown until the skin crackles
Remove the foil, raise the oven to 200 °C (400 °F) and bake 45 to 60 minutes more, until the skin is golden and blistered. Use a thermometer to check that the center of the filling reaches at least 74 °C (165 °F) and that the pork falls apart with a fork. If the skin has not puffed up, broil it for 5 to 8 minutes without leaving the oven unattended.
Rest, slice and serve
Let the lechona rest for 20 minutes out of the oven. Lift off the belly, cut the crisp skin into pieces and serve a portion of filling with pork and a piece of skin. Serve with arepa and ají.
The step photos are illustrative.
Notes
Tips
- Crisp skin depends on dryness: do not coat it with the paste, and leave it uncovered in the fridge.
- Cut the shoulder into similar-sized pieces so it cooks evenly.
- The filling touches raw meat while baking: use a thermometer and confirm at least 74 °C (165 °F) in the center before taking it out.
- Do not cook the rice fully before assembling; it would overcook in the dish.
Substitutions
- Lard: vegetable oil works, with less flavor.
- Banana leaves: line the dish with parchment and cover with foil; some aroma is lost.
- Cebolla larga: scallions or spring onions, in the same amount.
- Achiote: sweet paprika, for color.
- Pork belly without skin: the recipe works, but there will be no crackling.
Storage
Cool leftovers and refrigerate them within 2 hours, in closed containers. They keep for 3 to 4 days and should be reheated until the center reaches 74 °C (165 °F). You can freeze portions for up to 3 months. The skin loses its crunch in storage: revive it for 10 minutes in a 200 °C (400 °F) oven.
Sources: USDA FSIS, safe minimum internal temperatures; USDA FSIS, leftovers and food safety.
Nutrition facts
1 serving (1/8 of the recipe)
- Protein
- 50 g
- Carbohydrates
- 54 g
- Fat
- 74 g
- Saturated fat
- 26 g
- Fiber
- 10 g
Estimated with USDA FoodData Central by adding up the raw ingredients and dividing by 8 servings. Some of the fat stays in the dish, so the actual value may be somewhat lower. Added salt is not included.
Reference source: USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy)
For general information only; it does not replace advice from a qualified health or nutrition professional.
About this recipe
Lechona is one of Colombia's great celebration dishes, closely associated with the Tolima and Huila regions. The traditional version stuffs a whole pig with rice, peas and scallions and cooks it for hours in a wood-fired oven. This recipe adapts it to a home oven: the same flavors, in a deep baking dish, for 8 people.
Three details make it work. The pork rests in the marinade for 8 to 12 hours so salt and spices reach the center. The rice goes into the dish three-quarters cooked and finishes in the pork juices. And the pork belly is baked covered first and uncovered after, with dry skin, so it turns crisp.
You need to plan ahead: soak the peas and marinate the pork the night before, then allow about 4 hours for cooking and baking. If you are serving it at a celebration, assemble the dish before guests arrive and bake it in the meantime.
Frequently asked questions
How long does lechona take to make at home?
About 16 hours including resting: 8 to 12 hours of marinating and soaking the night before, about 60 minutes of prep and 3 hours in the oven, plus 20 minutes of rest.
Can I prepare it a day ahead?
Yes. The marinade and the soaking are done the day before. You can also bake it fully, refrigerate it and reheat it until the center reaches 74 °C (165 °F), reviving the skin for 10 minutes at 200 °C (400 °F).
How do I keep the rice from turning hard or dry?
Cook it only to three-quarters and mix the filling with pea cooking liquid so it stays moist. In the oven it absorbs the pork juices and finishes cooking.
What do you serve with lechona?
Arepa and ají are the usual companions. A squeeze of fresh lime also works well with the pork.
