Complete Cuban Roast Pork with Congrí, Yuca and Avocado

The day before

1. Dry the piece of leg well with paper towels. In a mortar, crush the 12 garlic cloves with the salt, oregano, cumin and pepper until you have a paste. Mix it with the sour orange juice and oil.
2. Rub the marinade well over all surfaces of the meat, making sure the skin stays dry. There is no need to pierce deeply or inject. Cover and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours.
3. Soak the red beans in plenty of water for 8-12 hours. If it is hot, leave them in the refrigerator as well.

The leg in the oven

4. Preheat the oven to 165 °C (325 °F). Place the leg with the skin facing up in a deep tray. Pour the marinade into the bottom along with the 200 ml of water, without pouring it over the skin. If the skin is wet, dry it and sprinkle a pinch of salt on it.
5. Cover with aluminum foil forming a tent that does not touch the skin and roast. Calculate about 3-4 hours for this piece, but start checking earlier: thickness and your oven dictate. Always keep some liquid in the tray, adding a splash of water if it dries out, without submerging the meat.
6. During the last hour, remove the foil so the skin browns. With a thermometer in the thickest part, without touching the bone, aim for 70-72 °C: this way the leg remains juicy and cuts into slices. There is no need to bring it to 90-95 °C as if it were for shredding. If the crust calls for it, give it a brief blast of high heat (about 220 °C) watching closely so it does not burn.

   

7. Remove the leg, transfer it to a board and let it rest for 20 minutes before cutting. Keep the juices from the tray, which have already cooked with the meat.

The beans (while the leg roasts)

8. Drain the beans and discard the soaking water. Put them in a pot with plenty of clean fresh water and maintain a rolling boil for at least 30 minutes. Then lower the heat and cook until they are tender but whole, about 40-60 minutes more, adding hot water if needed.
9. Drain the beans reserving the broth and measure 720 ml for the rice; if it is not enough, top up with water. That is all the liquid for the congrí: do not add any other amount of water separately. You will use all the cooked beans.

The congrí (when the meat has one hour left)

10. In the pot, heat the lard and sauté the onion, pepper and garlic over medium heat until soft and fragrant. Add the cumin, oregano and bay leaf.
11. Rinse and drain the rice well, add it to the sofrito and stir for one minute. Add the cooked beans and the 720 ml of measured broth, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat for 18-22 minutes, depending on the rice, without stirring constantly. If your rice requires another ratio, adjust the liquid: the congrí must be separate grains, never soupy.
12. Turn off the heat and let rest covered for 10 minutes. Uncover, remove the bay leaf and fluff the congrí with a fork.

    

The yuca with mojo

13. If the yuca is fresh, peel it completely, removing the brown skin and the pink layer underneath. Cut it into pieces and discard any area with streaks or spots. If it is frozen and already peeled, follow the package instructions.
14. Boil the yuca in plenty of salted water until very tender and starting to open up, about 25-40 minutes depending on size and variety. Drain, discard the cooking water and remove the tough central fiber. Keep warm.
15. For the mojo, heat the oil over low heat and lightly brown the crushed garlic, without burning it. If using onion, soften it there too. Remove the pan from the heat, wait a moment for the heat to subside and carefully add the sour orange juice and salt. Mix and pour over the hot yuca.

    

Cutting and assembly

16. Cut the rested leg into slices against the grain, with its golden crust. Heat the tray juices, remove some of the fat if you wish and use them to moisten the meat. Never pour raw marinade that has been in contact with the meat over it.

    

17. Just before serving, cut the avocados into slices, drizzle with a few drops of lime and a pinch of salt.

    

18. Assemble each complete meal on a plate: a good portion of congrí, several slices of leg with its juice and a piece of crust, some pieces of yuca with mojo and some avocado slices. Serve immediately.