World Flavors Cookbook

Lechona Tolimense

Whole roasted pig stuffed with seasoned pork, rice, and peas — the slow-roasted Colombian feast dish from Tolima department.

Cuisine: Colombia

Ingredients

• 1 whole suckling pig (20-25kg)
• For stuffing: 2kg seasoned ground pork, 1kg cooked rice, 500g cooked peas, garlic, onion, cumin, achiote
• Salt and spices

Instructions

1. Season pig inside and out with salt, garlic, cumin, and achiote. Rest overnight.
2. Mix ground pork with cooked rice, peas, and seasonings.
3. Stuff pig firmly with the mixture.
4. Sew closed.
5. Roast in a clay oven or wood oven at very low heat for 8-10 hours.
6. The skin should be deeply golden and crackling.