Cerdo asado
Pork shoulder is marinated with scallion, beer and garlic, then slowly roasted on metal rods over embers until tender.
In Sácama, Casanare, the Colombian national recipe inventory describes cerdo asado as pork roasted on wooden poles. That brief description establishes the rod-roasting method, but it does not preserve a full ingredient list or cooking schedule. This home adaptation keeps the defining idea of meat roasting on rods above embers and uses food-grade stainless steel for a practical, dependable setup. Its scallion, beer and garlic marinade is informed by a separately documented Llanos rod-roast from Meta; it should not be mistaken for a confirmed Sácama family formula.
Pork shoulder suits the long cook because its connective tissue softens over time. Cut it into broad pieces of similar thickness and secure each piece firmly so it cannot slip as the rods turn. A day in the refrigerated marinade seasons the surface. Before cooking, let excess marinade drip away; wet meat can brown slowly and drip onto the fire. Discard any marinade that has touched raw pork instead of brushing it over the cooked meat.
Set up the grill outdoors with a stable bed of charcoal or clean hardwood embers and a cooler area for indirect radiant heat. The meat should roast above the embers, not sit in active flames. Large pieces may take about five to six hours, but this is only an estimate: rod distance, piece thickness, wind and ember strength all matter. Turn the rods regularly and use a thermometer in the thickest pieces. Pork is safe at 62.8°C with a three-minute rest; for the soft, shreddable shoulder texture intended here, continue toward 88–93°C and check that a probe slides in easily.
