Lechon is a traditional Puerto Rican whole roast pig, seasoned inside with a blend of garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper, then slow-roasted over charcoal and wood for six hours. The result is succulent, tender meat complemented by a crackling, golden skin, basted throughout with annatto seed oil for added color and flavor. Served in a rice bowl with arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas), braised green bananas, and plantain relish, it's a soulful celebration of Puerto Rican heritage and flavor.
Woodbridge VA
Lechonera DMV
Lechon
Whole pig / Fresh garlic / Dried oregano / Salt / Fresh black pepper / Annatto seed oil / Rice / Pigeon peas / Hand-cut vegetables / Puerto Rican beer / Saffron / Banana leaves / Braised green bananas / Plantain relish / Mayo ketchup / Pique
Signature Dish
From Prep to Plate
Host Seth Tillman heads to Lechonera DMV, a Puerto Rican food truck in Woodbridge, VA, to watch co-owners Richard Torres and Mario Corona Ruiz and their team prepare traditional Puerto Rican lechon — a whole pig roasted over charcoal and wood fire for six hours.
The lechon bowl is a neat stack of roast pork — your mixed meats might include shoulder, leg, loin and skin, paired with a sweet-onion escabeche and a plantain relish — atop whatever rice the guys are preparing fresh that day. Served with a pair of sauces, including a housemade pique infused with hot peppers, the lechón bowl is a bottomless pit of delights.
Tim Carman, The Washington Post
