Lechona Tolimense (Colombian-Style Stuffed Pork)

This amazing meal is very popular during the holidays. It is a traditional dish, originally from the Tolima department of Colombia, is often served on special occasions.

This popular dish consists of a whole pork stuffed with rice, peas and spices, cooked in a brick oven for about ten to twelve hours. But you can also make a small version at home using pork skin. Some regions and cooks made Lechona Tolimense without rice and others add rice to it.

Both ways are delicious and acceptable, I personally like mine with rice.

Ingredients You'll Need

The printable recipe card with exact amounts and cooking directions to make Colombian Lechona is below. Pork: Use your favorite cut of meat or mixture of pork loin roast, pork butt or pork shoulder.

Vegetables: Scallions and garlic for the marinade. Spices: Ground cumin, achiote, salt and pepper.

Peas: Traditionally you have to use yellow peas to make lechona, but if you don't find them just use green peas. I made it with both and it is delicious either way.

Pork Skin: To wrap it, this is an important ingredient to make this recipe. You can find it at Latin markets or ask your local butcher for it. Pork Fat: I like to make my own pork fat at home by cooking pork belly, but you can use lard.

Rice: Long grain rice is bets to make this recipe. Lechona was Mamita's favorite Colombian dish and it was the main course at our Noche Buena, New Year's Eve celebrations and at her birthday parties.

The most important thing for Mamita was that the skin was really crispy. Noche Buena and New Year's Eve dinners at my grandmother's house were filled with tables groaning under the immense amount of food piled on top of it and people bustling to get to it. Two different kinds of pork roast, lechona, tamales, buñuelos, natilla, hojuelas, arroz con leche, brevas caladas, and two or three salads.

Memories that I will always treasure. Mamita passed away 20 years ago and even though the loss is over-whelming, I can’t help but remember her with a smile.

She was the best Grandmother any girl could ask for. Lechona Tolimense is a delicious meal.

My mom has a recipe to make a small Lechona at home using pork skin and I want to share it with you. Sorry, but I could not afford a whole pig.

What to Serve with this Dish?

How to Make Lechona

To make the marinade, Add the scallions, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper and 1 teaspoon of ground cumin, ¼ teaspoon achiote to a blender with ¼ cup of water and blend until well combined.

The next day, place the cooked rice, pork fat, ½ teaspoon of ground cumin, achiote, cooked peas, the rest of the marinade, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper in a large bowl. To assemble: Rinse the pork skin under cold water and pat dry really well.

Add salt to both sides and place it on a baking sheet or baking pan lined with foil, top with the rice mixture. Then add the marinated pork meat. Start rolling the pork skin to enclose the rice and pork mixture completely.

Tie with kitchen string to hold it together. Cover with aluminum foil.

- Preheat the oven to 350 F. - Bake for about 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Increase the heat to 450 F and uncovered the lechona to allow the skin to brown and cook for about 30 minutes more or until the skin is crispy. Remove from the oven and let it set for about 20 minutes. Serve with arepa, salted potatoes and lime wedges on the side.

Cook Notes

*In Tolima lechona is stuffed with of pork and yellow peas, however, in other parts of Colombia they add pork, rice, peas and potatoes to their lechona.

*You can prepare your lechona up to 3 days ahead before serving, just keep it uncooked in the fridge covered and bake it when ready to serve.

Lechona (Colombian-Style Stuffed Pork) Recipe

- 4 garlic cloves finely chopped

- 2 teaspoons ground cumin - 1 teaspoon ground achiote

- ¾ cup peas cooked (Yellow or Green) - 1 ¼ cups cooked white rice

- 1 teaspoon black pepper - 2 pounds pound pork meat cut into small pieces - To make the marinade, Add the scallions, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper and 1 teaspoon of ground cumin to a blender with ¼ cup of water and blend until well combined.

- In a large bowl mix the pork meat with half of the marinade and reserve the rest in a container in the fridge. Place the pork in the fridge and let it sit overnight. - The next day, place the cooked rice, pork fat, ½ teaspoon of ground cumin, achiote, cooked peas, the rest of the marinade, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper in a large bowl.

- To assemble: Rinse the pork skin under cold water and pat dry really well. Add salt to both sides and place it on a baking sheet or baking pan lined with foil, top with the rice mixture and pork.

- Start rolling the pork skin to enclose the rice and pork mixture completely. Tie with kitchen string to hold it together.

Cover with aluminum foil. - Preheat the oven to 350 F. - Bake for about 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Increase the heat to 450 F and uncovered the lechona to allow the skin to brown and cook for about 30 minutes more or until the skin is crispy. - Remove from the oven and let it set for about 20 minutes.

Serve with arepa, salted potatoes and lime wedges on the side.