Stuffed Pork Shoulder "a lo caja china"
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 8 to 10 servings
- Total: 14 hr 45 min
- Prep: 15 min
- Inactive: 12 hr 30 min
- Cook: 2 hr
Ingredients
1 (8-pound) pork shoulder, bone-in
2 sour oranges, juiced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
6 bay leaves
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons pepper
1/2 pound ham, thinly sliced
8 slices bacon
1 cup prunes
1 cup guava shells
2 cups brown sugar
1 bottle Malta, divided
Fried Green Plantains, recipe follows
White Rice, recipe follows
Black Beans, recipe follows
Fried Green Plantains (Tostones De Platano Verde):
Oil, for frying
4 ripe plantains, peeled
Salt
1 recipe Garlic Mojo, recipe follows
Garlic Mojo:
8 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour orange juice or 1/4 cup sweet orange juice plus 1/8 cup fresh lime or lemon juice
White Rice (Arroz Blanco):
9 tablespoons oil
6 cloves garlic, chopped
9 cups water
3 tablespoons salt
3 pounds rice, washed
Black Beans (Frijoles Negros):
2 pounds black beans
20 cups water
1 cup plus 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large onion, chopped
8 garlic cloves, mashed or chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
8 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper, optional
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
4 tablespoons sugar
1 cup dry red wine
4 tablespoons vinegar
Directions
- Remove bone and flatten meat so that it may be rolled. If the pork shoulder is very fatty, a small amount may be removed. Score fat well and marinate for a minimum of 12 hours in the sour orange juice, garlic, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Line meat with ham slices, bacon slices, prunes and guava shells. Roll meat carefully to keep the filling inside the roll. Tie firmly with a butcher twine. Cover with brown sugar and 1/2 bottle of Malta and cook for 1 hour in the preheated oven. At this point, turn the meat, cover with the remaining Malta and cook for an extra hour, or until the pork reaches a temperature of 180 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Allow to cool and cut into fine slices. Pour the drippings over the meat after slicing the meat. Serve with the Fried Green Plantains, White Rice, and Black Beans.
Fried Green Plantains (Tostones De Platano Verde):
- Preheat oil in a fryer or Dutch oven to 365 degrees F. Peel the plantains and cut into 1-inch pieces. Place into preheated oil and fry for 5 minutes or until they begin to brown. Drain them on a paper-towel lines plate. Flatten them using a Tostonera or the bottom of a metal can and fry again at 385 degrees F for approximately 3 minutes. Drain again and sprinkle with salt and garlic mojo. For softer fried plantains, soak for a few minutes in salted water after the first fry, drain and fry again.
- Yield: 8 servings
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Inactive Prep Time: 30 minutes
Garlic Mojo:
- Chop up the garlic very thinly or crush using a mortar and pestle or food processor with the salt to form a thick paste. In a mixing bowl, combine the garlic paste and juice, and let the mixture sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or longer.
White Rice (Arroz Blanco):
- Heat oil in a shallow casserole and brown garlic. Take it off the heat and remove garlic from the oil. Add water and salt to the oil and bring to a rolling boil. Add the washed rice and stir. Bring to a rolling boil again, cover and cook over low heat for approximately 30 minutes.
- Yield: 20 servings
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
Black Beans (Frijoles Negros):
- Wash the beans and soak overnight in the water. When the beans swell, cook in the same water until soft, about 45 minutes. Heat 1 cup oil in a frying pan, add onions, garlic and green peppers. Add 1 cup of the beans to the pan and mash. Add this to the beans together with the salt, pepper, if using, oregano, bay leaves and sugar. Allow to boil for a 1 hour then add the wine and vinegar allowing to cook uncovered for a while. Add the 4 remaining tablespoons olive oil just before serving.
- Yield: about 20 servings
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Inactive Prep Time: 12 hours