Lechona Tolimense
Sign in to rate this recipe.
The Tale of Lechona Tolimense
Story updated
Lechona, a whole roasted stuffed pig, is the signature dish of Colombia's Tolima department, traditionally cooked for hours in clay or brick ovens for local festivals, especially Ibagué's June celebrations. The pig is stuffed with rice, peas, and its own meat before slow-roasting until the skin turns crackling-crisp.
Ingredients
Scale:· 12 servings
- 1 whole pig (12-15 lbs), deboned, or a large pork leg roast for a smaller batch
- 4 cups cooked yellow peas
- 3 cups cooked rice
- 2 onions, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons cumin
- 3 tablespoons achiote (annatto) paste
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- 1Combine the cooked peas, rice, onion, garlic, cumin, achiote, salt, and pepper to make the stuffing.
- 2Season the pork all over, inside and out, with the achiote mixture.
- 3Stuff the deboned pig or pork roast generously with the rice and pea filling and sew or tie closed.
- 4Roast in a very low oven, about 300°F (150°C), for 4-5 hours, basting occasionally, until the skin is deeply golden and crackled.
- 5Let rest 20 minutes before carving.
- 6Serve slices of the meat, skin, and stuffing together, traditionally with arepas.
Want Cook Mode, your own recipe photos, and unlimited calculators?
Get Home Cooking ProComments
Loading comments…
Sign in to leave a comment.