Overview

Skin-on pork shoulder marinated with Cuban mojo, smoked on a kettle for deep citrus-garlic flavor and finished hot for blistered crackling. A caja china vibe, adapted for the backyard kettle.

Ingredients

• Skin-on picnic pork shoulder, 6–8 lb (2.7–3.6 kg)
• Kosher salt for dry brine: 0.8–1.0% of meat weight (8–10 g per kg); example 28–32 g for a 7 lb/3.2 kg shoulder
• Black pepper, 2 tsp (6 g), divided
• Mojo marinade (under-skin/injection and reserve some clean for finishing):
• Sour orange juice, 1 cup (240 ml) (or 2/3 cup/160 ml orange juice + 1/3 cup/80 ml lime juice)
• Garlic, 12 cloves (about 60 g), mashed to a paste
• Dried oregano, 2 tsp (2 g)
• Ground cumin, 2 tsp (4 g)
• Kosher salt, 1 tsp (6 g) (mojo only; dry brine is separate)
• Freshly ground black pepper, 1 tsp (3 g)
• Olive oil, 1/4 cup (60 ml)
• Bay leaves, 3
• Optional garnish: lime wedges; chopped cilantro stems

Equipment

• 22 in (57 cm) kettle grill with lid
• Charcoal (briquettes or lump) and fire starters
• Chimney starter
• 2-probe digital thermometer (grate + meat)
• Foil drip pan and wire rack
• Long tongs and heat-resistant gloves
• Sharp carving knife or cleaver
• Skewer or injector for mojo
• Cutting board with juice groove

Wood

Orange wood (citrus); substitute apple with a small chunk of pecan or hickory

Time & Temp

Time & Temp
Smoke temp: 300 °F (149 °C)
Target internal: 200 °F (93 °C)
Approx duration: 7.5 hours

Why This Works on a Kettle

Traditional Cuban lechón asado is whole pig roasted with mojo and finished for crisp, blistered skin. On a 22 in (57 cm) kettle you can get remarkably close: run a steady medium-hot indirect fire to render and tenderize, then ramp hard at the end to balloon and crisp the skin without drying the meat. The key moves are a dry, salted skin, mojo under the skin (not on it), and a clean two‑zone fire.

The Cut: Picnic Shoulder With Skin

Ask for a skin‑on picnic shoulder (front leg) 6–8 lb (2.7–3.6 kg). Picnic gives you skin for crackling plus enough collagen to go tender at higher internal temps. Keep the skin intact; trim only loose flaps and excessive surface fat on the meat side. Expect 35–45% cook loss. One shoulder serves 8–10 with sides.

Mojo: Citrus–Garlic Backbone

Classic Cuban mojo leans on sour orange (naranja agria), garlic, oregano, cumin, black pepper, and a touch of oil. Make enough to work under the skin and/or to inject, and keep a separate clean portion for finishing at the table. If you can’t source sour orange, blend orange and lime juice (about 2:1) for the right brightness. Don’t put wet mojo on the outside skin—we want that skin bone‑dry so it blisters.

Dry Brine and Prep for Crisp Skin

Pat the shoulder dry. Salt the meat side only at 0.8–1.0% of meat weight (8–10 g salt per kg; for a 7 lb/3.2 kg shoulder use 28–32 g). Leave the skin unsalted for now. With a thin skewer or corn holder, prick the skin all over (50–100 shallow pricks) without piercing into the meat; this vents steam and helps blistering. Gently loosen a corner of the skin to create a pocket and massage mojo into the meat under the skin and on the exposed meat side. Optionally inject 1–1.5 oz (30–45 ml) mojo per lb (65–100 ml per kg) into the thickest muscles. Place on a rack over a tray, skin side up, and refrigerate 12–24 hours uncovered to dry the skin. Just before cooking, wipe the skin completely dry and lightly salt it (about 1 tsp/5 g evenly).

Set Up the Kettle

Build a clean two‑zone fire. Bank a full chimney of lit charcoal to one side, with an unlit bed beneath/adjacent for a 4–6 hour burn. Target 275–300°F (135–149°C) lid temperature over the indirect side. Place a dry foil pan under the indirect side to catch fat; avoid water pans if you want the driest skin. Add 2–3 fist‑size chunks of orange wood (or apple) to the edge of the coals so they smolder cleanly. Position the top vent over the meat to draw smoke across it; start with bottom vents 1/3–1/2 open and adjust to hold temp.

Cook Timeline and Targets

Set the shoulder skin‑side up over the indirect zone. Cook at 275–300°F (135–149°C). Add a wood chunk in the first 60–90 minutes only to avoid over‑smoke. Expect roughly 45–75 minutes per lb at these temps; a 7 lb (3.2 kg) shoulder typically takes 6–8.5 hours. You’ll hit a stall around 160–170°F (71–77°C); resist wrapping if you want crisp skin at the end. Doneness: for slicing, pull at 185–190°F (85–88°C). For pulling, go 198–203°F (92–95°C) and confirm with a probe sliding in like warm butter and an easy bone wiggle. Keep the skin dry—don’t mop or spritz it.

Crisp the Skin (Safely)

When the meat is at target internal, ramp the kettle to 425–475°F (218–246°C): open both vents fully and add 1/2 chimney of lit charcoal to the hot side. Keep the shoulder on the indirect side, skin still up. Close the lid with the top vent over the meat; the higher dome temps will blister the skin in 10–20 minutes. Rotate the roast every 3–5 minutes for even color. If needed, you can briefly go skin‑side‑down over direct heat for 30–90 seconds per zone with the lid on to tame flare‑ups—work in short bursts. The skin is ready when it’s glassy, blistered, and audibly crisp. Avoid sugar glazes; they burn before the skin crisps.

Rest, Carve, and Serve

Rest 15–20 minutes for slicing or 20–30 minutes for pulling. Don’t tent tightly—trap steam and your crackling softens. Separate the crackling and chop into bite‑size pieces. Pull or slice the meat, toss lightly with warm reserved mojo (kept separate from raw pork) and a few chopped cracklings. Serve with yuca con mojo, black beans and rice, or tostones. A squeeze of lime and a few cilantro stems are welcome but keep the profile classic: citrus, garlic, pork.

Troubleshooting

Rubbery skin: it was wet or you wrapped; ensure an uncovered fridge dry (12–24 h) and finish hotter, indirect, lid closed. Burned skin: too much direct flame; use indirect radiant heat to blister and keep the lid on to control oxygen. Meat dry: you stopped hot and early; for pulling, wait for 198–203°F (92–95°C) and probe‑tender. Too sour: marinated too long or too much lime; keep mojo contact 8–12 hours and favor sour orange over lime.

Food Safety

Keep mojo cold and split it before any contacts raw pork—one batch for raw contact, one clean for finishing. If you ever want to baste with used mojo, boil it hard for 3 minutes first (but avoid wetting the skin). Sanitize injector and probes. Handle raw pork and cutting boards with care to prevent cross‑contamination. Although pork is safe at 145°F (63°C), shoulder needs higher temps for connective tissue to melt; cook by feel as directed. Cool leftovers from 135°F to below 70°F (57°C to 21°C) within 2 hours and to 40°F (4°C) within 4 hours. Refrigerate 3–4 days or freeze up to 3 months. Reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C).

Notes

• Keep the skin dry from the start: salt the meat, not the skin, during the overnight; wipe and lightly salt the skin just before cooking.
• Add wood only early in the cook for clean, light smoke that won’t mask the citrus and garlic.
• Don’t wrap; wrapping steams the skin. If you must hold, hold unwrapped in a 150–160°F (65–71°C) oven with the door cracked to keep the skin dry.
• For a caja china‑style blister, finish hotter via indirect radiant heat with the lid closed and rotate frequently.
• Reserve a clean portion of mojo for finishing; never reuse marinade that touched raw pork unless boiled.