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    Home / Dinner / Hornado

    Hornado

    A whole pork shoulder roasted low and slow until the skin crackles and the meat falls apart — the showstopper of every Ecuadorian fiesta, served with llapingachos.

    ⏱ 25 minPrep time
    🔥 4 hrsCook time
    🍽 12Servings
    🏷 DinnerCategory
    ☆☆☆☆☆No ratings yet
    Hornado - Ecuadorian Roasted Pork Shoulder

    Hornado is Ecuador’s great celebration roast, a whole pork shoulder marinated overnight in achiote, garlic, cumin, and beer, then roasted for hours until impossibly tender. From Ambato’s weekend markets to family birthdays, it is carved at the table and served with llapingachos, mote, fried plantain, and ají.

    Low and slow, with crackling skin and achiote glow

    The meat turns so tender it pulls apart with a fork, its edges lacquered with a glossy achiote marinade and its skin crisp and crackly. The flavor is deep and smoky-sweet from the long roast, with garlic and cumin humming underneath, and it begs to be piled onto a plate with potatoes and tangy curtido.

    Ecuadorian recipes →

    Step by stepInstructions

    1. Mix the achiote oil, garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper into a thick paste and rub it all over the pork, working it into the scored skin; refrigerate overnight, or at least 4 hours.
    2. Preheat the oven to 325°F and place the pork in a roasting pan.
    3. Pour the beer, lime juice, and grated onion around the pork, cover the pan tightly with foil, and roast for 3 hours, basting once halfway through.
    4. Remove the foil, raise the oven to 375°F, and roast for 1 hour more, basting every 20 minutes, until the skin is crisp and the meat pulls apart easily.
    5. Rest the roast for 20 minutes before carving.
    6. Serve thick slices with llapingachos, mote, curtido, and ají on the side.

    💡 Chef tips & storage

    The overnight marinade is non-negotiable for deep flavor — and keep the skin dry before the uncovered roast so it crackles. Leftover hornado makes incredible sandwiches and keeps 4 days refrigerated.

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    Recipe details

    Prep25 min
    Cook4 hrs
    Servings12
    CategoryDinner
    PublishedAugust 17, 2026
    Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

    Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

    Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

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