Lechón asado is the apex of Cuban cooking — a whole pig, or more practically a pork shoulder, marinated overnight in mojo criollo (sour orange, head of garlic, cumin, dried oregano) and then slow-roasted for six hours until the skin turns to crackling and the meat collapses from the bone at the touch of a fork. It is the dish that defines Noche Buena (Cuban Christmas Eve) and the one that Cuban expatriates in Dubai miss most. You cannot fully replicate a whole-pig spit roast in an apartment oven. You can get very close with a pork shoulder and eight hours of patience.
Finding dedicated Cuban restaurants in Dubai that serve lechón asado is not straightforward — there are only two or three, and lechón appears irregularly. The home cook route is, genuinely, the better option in Dubai. The ingredients are available. The recipe is direct. And the result — served with black beans, white rice, and sweet plantain — is one of the most satisfying dinners you can put on a table in this city.
Where to Eat Lechón Asado in Dubai
Dedicated Cuban restaurants in Dubai are few. Bohemia DIFC is the main one. Casa Latina in JLT and Toro Toro at Grosvenor House serve Cuban-inflected dishes including occasional lechón. Here is what is available:
1. Bohemia Lounge — DIFC (Weekend Special)
AED 135Bohemia serves a lechón asado on Fridays and Saturdays — a pork shoulder marinated in house-made mojo criollo for 48 hours, slow-roasted and served with white rice, black beans, sweet plantain and pickled red onion. This is the most authentic version of the dish you will find in Dubai. The mojo marinade is made from fresh orange juice, lime, roasted garlic, cumin and hand-dried oregano — not a commercial blend. Call ahead to confirm availability (it sells out); portions are generous at around 350g bone-in. Pair with a Havana Club Old Fashioned (AED 85) or a glass of Malbec from their South American wine list.
Gate Village 11, DIFC · Fri–Sat only, call to confirm · +971 4 333 6789
2. Toro Toro — Grosvenor House
AED 145Toro Toro's Sunday Latin Brunch includes a lechón asado carving station — slow-roasted pork shoulder with mojo sauce, available as part of the AED 285 brunch package (including drinks). The pork is well-executed: marinated overnight in a mojo blend with added ají amarillo (Peruvian yellow pepper) that gives a cross-continental character. The carving-station format means you control your portion. The brunch also includes ceviches, empanadas, and a dessert spread. Best value if you plan to eat extensively; otherwise the à la carte lechón at AED 145 is also available on the regular dinner menu on Fridays.
Grosvenor House, Dubai Marina · Sunday Brunch AED 285 · +971 4 317 6300
3. Casa Latina — JLT (Seasonal)
AED 95Casa Latina in JLT serves a lechón-inspired pulled pork plate on their Cuban themed nights (usually the last Thursday of each month — check their Instagram). The pork is shoulder, marinated with mojo spices, slow-cooked in a covered pot rather than open-roasted (so no crackling skin, but the meat is deeply flavoured). Served with rice, beans, and maduros (sweet fried plantain). AED 95 is good value for the area. The Thursday Cuban nights include live salsa music and are packed with the expat community who grew up with this food.
Cluster Q, JLT · Cuban nights last Thursday monthly · Check Instagram for dates
Where to Buy Pork in Dubai
Pork is available from designated sections of larger supermarkets in Dubai. Not all branches stock it. Here is where to find pork shoulder specifically:
| Store | Location | Notes | Approx Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spinneys | Multiple (pork counter) | Best selection; bone-in shoulder available | AED 55–70/kg |
| Carrefour City | Al Wasl, JBR, DIFC | Packaged pork; shoulder usually available | AED 48–60/kg |
| Park n Shop | Jumeirah, Mirdif | Good international pork cuts | AED 50–65/kg |
| Waitrose (Emaar) | Dubai Mall, Dubai Hills | Premium British pork; excellent quality | AED 70–90/kg |
| African + Eastern | Multiple | Liquor + pork; reliable bone-in shoulder | AED 55–68/kg |
The Lechón Asado Recipe: Full Guide
Mojo Criollo: The Marinade
Makes enough for 2kg pork shoulder
Ingredients
- Juice of 4 oranges + 2 limes (sour orange substitute)
- 1 full head garlic, minced (10–12 cloves)
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1½ tsp sea salt
- 3 tbsp olive oil
Method
- Whisk all ingredients together
- Score pork with deep knife cuts
- Push garlic slivers into cuts
- Pour mojo over pork completely
- Refrigerate 12–24 hours, turning once
- Roast at 160°C for 5–6 hours
- Rest 30 min before pulling
The Four Critical Rules
One full head, minced. Not two cloves. Not a teaspoon of garlic powder. The dish is fundamentally about garlic-and-citrus. Reducing the garlic reduces the dish.
160°C for six hours. Do not try to speed it up at 200°C for three — the fat will not render properly, the collagen will not break down, and the meat will be fibrous rather than unctuous.
Eight hours is the minimum. Twenty-four is better. Forty-eight is the Bohemia standard. The citrus-garlic needs time to penetrate from the surface cuts into the meat itself.
The rendered fat, meat juices and remaining mojo in the roasting pan are the sauce. Skim the excess fat, reduce slightly, and pour over the pulled pork. No gravy flour. No cream. Just the cooking juices.
The Halal Alternative: Lamb Mojo
For Dubai's majority Muslim population, lechón asado is not an option — but the mojo criollo technique works beautifully with lamb shoulder. Use a 1.5–2kg bone-in lamb shoulder from the Spinneys butcher counter (Omani or Australian lamb), apply the exact same mojo marinade, and roast at 160°C for 4–5 hours. The result — tender lamb with citrus-garlic crust — is genuinely delicious. It is not lechón asado but it shares the same spirit and cooking logic.
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