Antioquia beer-marinated pork loin roast (Cañón de cerdo)

Mix the marinade and reserve basting beer Set aside 500 ml of the beer in a clean, covered container before handling the pork. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining 250 ml beer with the onion, garlic, ground bay, thyme, lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper. The mixture will be loose and fragrant.

Season and chill the pork Pat the roast dry. Rub the onion mixture over every surface several times, pressing it into the meat. Place the pork and all marinade in a covered food-safe dish or bag and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight. Turn the roast once if convenient. Keep it chilled; do not marinate on the counter.

Prepare the oven and roasting pan Heat the oven to 150°C. The cookbook prints “300°” without a scale; 150°C is an explicit practical interpretation. Set the roast on a rack in a roasting pan, with the chopped marinade onion around it if desired. Discard the marinade that contacted raw pork. Pour the reserved, clean beer into a small jug for basting.

Roast and baste Roast for about 1 hour 50 minutes, using the time only as a guide. Baste every 20–25 minutes with some of the reserved beer and hot pan juices. If the pan becomes dry, add a little more reserved beer. If the outside browns too quickly, loosely tent the roast with foil. Ovens and roast shapes vary, so begin checking the centre before the estimated finish.

Check, rest and carve Insert a clean food thermometer into the thickest centre, avoiding the pan and large fat seams. Remove the roast from the oven at no less than 62.8°C, then rest it for at least 3 minutes; a 10-minute rest makes carving easier. If it has not reached temperature, return it to the oven and check again. Slice across the grain and spoon over the cooked pan juices.