Hornado de Chancho (Ecuadorian Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder)

  • Total time - 4 hours (plus 24-48 hours marinating)
  • Prep - 30 minutes
  • Baking - 3 hours 30 minutes
  • Servings: 8
  • Country: Ecuador
A large piece of slow-roasted Hornado pork with crispy skin, surrounded by roasted potatoes and avocado.

Hornado means 'baked in a kiln/oven' and is a dish fit for kings (or at least a weekend feast). The key to achieving a crispy crust and juicy meat is the long marination and alternating baking temperatures.

When buying pork shoulder, ensure the skin is intact and there is a thick layer of fat underneath, which ensures tenderness and crispiness.

Ingredients

For the Hornado (Meat and Marinade)

  • 3 kg pork shoulder with bone and skin (or pork leg)
  • 0.5 cups fresh lime juice
  • 1 whole head (approx. 10 cloves) garlic, crushed into a paste
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 Tbsp Achiote (annatto) paste/powder (for color and flavor)
  • 2 bottles (approx. 700 ml) beer (light, inexpensive beer or Chicha)
  • to taste salt and black pepper

For Baking and Glaze (Optional)

  • 50 g butter or lard (for brushing the skin)
  • 1 tsp Achiote powder
  • 8 pieces potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks (add the last hour of baking)

Traditional Sides

  • to taste Llapingachos (cheese-stuffed potato patties)
  • to taste Mote (cooked hominy/corn)
  • to taste Curtido (pickled onion and tomato salad)
  • to taste Avocado slices

Instructions

Step 1: Prep the Meat and Marinate

Pat the pork shoulder dry. Score the skin on top with a sharp knife in a crosshatch pattern (be careful not to cut the meat, just the fat and skin). Make several deep incisions into the meat for the marinade to penetrate.

In a large bowl, mix the crushed garlic, cumin, achiote, salt, and pepper. Add the lime juice and mix.

Rub the marinade into the incisions and spread it evenly over the entire meat. Rub the skin only lightly, but ensure the meat underneath is well-seasoned.

Place the meat in a deep container, pour in the beer, and cover. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours, ideally 48 hours, turning it every 12 hours.

Step 2: Slow Roasting

Remove the meat from the refrigerator 1 hour before cooking to reach room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 165 °C (325 °F). Place the pork shoulder in a deep roasting pan, skin-side up. Pour the remaining marinade around it, but try to avoid wetting the skin. If the skin is wet, it won't crisp.

Roast for 2 hours. Then regularly (every 30 minutes) baste the meat with the juices from the bottom of the pan (again, avoid the skin, only baste the meat). Keep the skin dry.

Step 3: Final Baking and Potatoes

After 3 hours of roasting (at 165 °C (325 °F)), add large chunks of potatoes to the roasting pan around the meat. The potatoes will cook in the delicious meat juices. Continue baking for about 1 hour.

Step 4: Crispy Skin (Crackling)

Once the potatoes are cooked and the internal temperature of the meat is at least 72 °C (160 °F), remove the roasting pan from the oven.

Increase the oven temperature to 230 °C (450 °F) (or use the broiler function).

In a small bowl, melt the butter and mix it with a bit of achiote. Brush this mixture (or just lard) onto the skin only of the pork.

Return the meat to the oven and cook for 10–15 minutes until the skin is crispy and puffed up. Watch carefully to prevent burning.

Step 5: Serving

Let the meat rest for 20 minutes, covered with aluminum foil.

Serve sliced or shredded. Traditional sides include llapingachos (potato and cheese patties), mote (hominy corn), the roasted potatoes, curtido onion salad, and avocado slices.