About this Dish
A whole roasted pig stuffed with rice, peas, onions and spices — the centrepiece of Colombian celebrations. Prepared for Christmas, weddings and festivals in the Tolima region. The pig is stuffed and slow-roasted for 10-12 hours until the skin crackles to amber perfection and the rice inside absorbs all the pork fat and juices.
IngredientsServes 20
🐷Whole pig, 20-25kg, cleaned and butterflied by your butcher
🍚White rice, 1kg uncooked
🫛Dried yellow peas, 500g soaked overnight
🧅White onions, 4 large, finely chopped
🧄Garlic, 2 whole heads, minced
🌿Fresh cilantro, 1 large bunch, chopped
🧂Coarse salt, 200g for seasoning inside and out
🌶️Ground cumin, 4 tablespoons
🫒Vegetable oil or lard, 100ml
🍋White vinegar, 100ml
Method
1
The night before, rub the entire pig inside and out with the vinegar, salt and cumin, massaging deeply into the flesh and scoring the skin with a knife so the seasoning penetrates. Cover and refrigerate overnight to marinate.2
In the morning, prepare the stuffing by cooking the soaked peas in salted water until just tender but not mushy, about 30 minutes, then drain and set aside. In a large pan, fry the onions and garlic in oil until softened and golden, then stir in the raw rice, cooked peas, cilantro, a generous pinch of salt and cumin until everything is well combined — the rice will finish cooking inside the pig.3
Lay the pig flat and pack the stuffing mixture firmly and evenly across the entire interior cavity, being careful not to overfill as the rice will expand during roasting. Sew or tie the pig closed tightly with kitchen twine so no stuffing escapes during the long roast.4
Preheat your oven to 120°C (250°F). Place the pig skin-side up on a large roasting rack over a deep tray and rub the skin generously with oil and an extra pinch of salt. Cover the whole pig loosely with foil and slow-roast for 10 hours, checking occasionally.5
After 10 hours, remove the foil, increase the oven temperature to 230°C (450°F) and roast for a final 1-2 hours until the skin turns deep amber and crackles loudly when tapped — this is the prized chicharrón skin that everyone fights over. Baste with the pan drippings once or twice during this final blast.6
Rest the lechona uncovered for at least 30 minutes before carving. Serve generous portions of the rice stuffing alongside slices of crispy skin and tender pork, traditionally accompanied by arepas and ají hot sauce.7
Rest the lechona for 20-30 minutes before cutting open and serving. Scoop out the fragrant, fat-soaked rice alongside pieces of crispy skin and tender pulled pork — serve with hot aji sauce and arepas on the side.User Reviews
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