An international dish if ever there was one (the Philippine version is quite similar and you can find others around the globe) and one that can be spiced with as little as a rub of garlic, salt, and pepper or a little more elaborately, as is this one. Use a bone-in loin cut, from the rib (shoulder) end, or simply a boneless shoulder (picnic or butt) roast. This is the pork that is best used for Sandwich Cubano (page 363).

　　

Ingredients

makes 6 servings

　　2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano leaves or 2 teaspoons dried

　　1 tablespoon minced garlic

　　2 teaspoons ground cumin

　　1 tablespoon salt

　　1 tablespoon black pepper

　　One 3-pound bone-in pork roast, from the shoulder end, excess fat removed

　　1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

　　1 large onion, thinly sliced

　　Lemon wedges for serving

　　

Step 1

Combine the first 6 ingredients. Use a sharp knife to poke some holes all over the meat and insert small amounts of the garlic rub into them. Combine the remaining rub with the lemon juice and onion and rub all over the exterior of the roast; if time allows, wrap in plastic or place in a resealable plastic bag and refrigerate for 24 hours. If not, proceed.

　　

Step 2

When you’re ready to cook, preheat the oven to 450°F. Put the pork on a rack in a roasting pan and put in the oven. Roast for 20 minutes, or until the pork begins to brown, then lower the heat to 350°F and add 1 cup water to the bottom of the pan. Continue to roast, basting the pork with the pan juices and adding water to the bottom of the pan if it threatens to dry out, for about 2 hours, or until the interior temperature of the pork reaches 150°F on an instant-read thermometer.

　　

Step 3

Remove the pork and let it rest. (You can prepare the dish up to this point in advance; let sit for a few hours or cover and refrigerate for up to a day. Make the sauce and refrigerate it separately; reheat before serving.) Add more water to the bottom of the pan if necessary and cook over high heat, stirring and scraping to incorporate any browned bits of meat that may be stuck to the bottom. Carve the pork, spoon a little of this pan juice over it, and serve with the lemon wedges.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.