Colombian Lechona Recipe

Lechona is a traditional Colombian dish consisting of a whole roasted pig stuffed with a rice, yellow peas, onions, and spices. The pig is deboned, marinated, stuffed, and slow roasted until the meat is tender and the skin becomes crispy.

The pork meat is seasoned with garlic, scallions, cumin, salt, and pepper before being stuffed back into the skin.

The word Lechona translates to ‘suckling pig’, although an adult pig is traditionally used. The pig is often cooked in a traditional clay oven, the cooking process can take over 10 hours.

Lechona is often served with sides such as arepas (corn cakes), along with salad, avocado, or hogao.

Lechona is not to be confused with the dish Lechon which is a similar suckling pig recipe popular in the Philippines, Cuba and the Dominican Republic.

Origin & Cultural Significance

Lechona originated from the Tolima region of Colombia. The dish can be traced back to when indigenous communities cooked whole animals for special occasions.

The ingredients and flavors today have evolved over the years to incorporate a combination of African, indigenous, and Spanish culinary influences.

This is a special occasion meal in Colombia, usually found at big celebrations like Christmas, New Year, birthdays and weddings.

Different families or regions in Colombia may have a slightly varied recipe, usually to the seasoning blend or stuffing ingredients.

The world ‘lechona’ stems from the Spanish word ‘leche’, which translates to milk, due to the fact that this dish is made from piglets who are still nursing.

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Colombian Lechona Recipe

Yield: 20

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours

Additional Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Colombian Lechona is made with a whole roasted pig stuffed with a rice, peas, onions, and spices. The pig is deboned, marinated, stuffed, and roasted until the meat is tender and the skin becomes crispy.

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Ingredients

• Whole pig (cleaned and deboned) - 1
• Rice - 6 cups
• Peas - 2 cups
• Carrots (diced) - 2 cups
• Potatoes (diced) - 2 cups
• Onions (finely chopped) - 3
• Garlic (minced) - 6 cloves
• Cumin - 4 tbsp
• Achiote powder - 4 tbsp
• Salt - to taste
• Pepper - to taste
• Oil - 1/2 cup

Instructions

1. First, mix together the minced garlic, ground cumin, achiote powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
2. Marinate the meat by rubbing the mixture all over the inside and outside of the deboned pig. Let it marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnight in the refrigerator.
3. Cook the rice according to package instructions.
4. In a large bowl, mix together the cooked rice, peas, and the chopped carrots, potatoes, and onions to use as stuffing. 
5. Season the stuffing with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Stuff the pig with the rice mixture, packing it tightly to fill the cavity. 
7. Sew or use kitchen twine to close the opening securely.
8. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
9. Place the stuffed pig on a roasting pan or in a large baking dish.
10. Roast the pig in the preheated oven for about 8 hours, or until the skin is crispy and the meat is cooked through. Baste the pig occasionally with its own juices or with a mixture of oil and water to keep it moist.
11. Once cooked, remove the pig from the oven and let it rest for about 15-20 minutes before serving.
12. Serve the Lechona hot, slicing it into portions along with the stuffing.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 20 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 169Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 47mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 4g

Nutrition is provided and calculated by Nutritionix. It is for general information purposes and is only a rough estimation.