Name: Cuchicanca
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 165 min
Total time: 930 min
Cuisine: Peruvian cuisine
Ingredients: 1400 g skin-on pork shoulder, one compact roast, skin scored shallowly; 130 ml red-wine vinegar, for marinade; 75 g ají mirasol paste, made from soaked dried yellow chile; 25 g garlic, finely crushed; 4 g ground cumin, freshly ground; 3 g black pepper, freshly ground; 11 g fine salt, weighed; 35 ml lime juice, fresh; 180 g red onion, cut in thin wedges; 25 ml vegetable oil, for roasting tray; 350 ml water, for roasting tray

Yield 6 portions

Prep 35 minutes

Cook 165 minutes

Passive 730 minutes

Total 930 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Cuchicanca — step-by-step recipe

Cuchicanca, also written kuchi kanka, names the roast-pork tradition associated with Huaraz in Áncash. Its defining action is roasting meat after a seasoning period with vinegar, ají mirasol, garlic, cumin and pepper.

A whole young pig is common in descriptions of the regional dish. A single skin-on pork shoulder allows a home oven to approach the same marriage of seasoned meat and browned exterior, but it does not duplicate the shape, surface area or cooking conditions of a whole lechón.

The meat benefits from a refrigerated overnight seasoning and a moderate oven before brief higher heat on the skin. Juicy, safely cooked meat matters more than achieving a dark crust; if the skin colours quickly, trust the thermometer and monitor the final roast closely.

Ingredients

1400 g skin-on pork shoulder, one compact roast, skin scored shallowly
130 ml red-wine vinegar, for marinade
75 g ají mirasol paste, made from soaked dried yellow chile
25 g garlic, finely crushed
4 g ground cumin, freshly ground
3 g black pepper, freshly ground
11 g fine salt, weighed
35 ml lime juice, fresh
180 g red onion, cut in thin wedges
25 ml vegetable oil, for roasting tray
350 ml water, for roasting tray

Method

Season the pork.In a nonreactive dish combine 130 ml vinegar, 75 g ají mirasol, 25 g garlic, 4 g cumin, 3 g pepper, 11 g salt and 35 ml lime juice; rub over the 1400 g shoulder, keeping the skin mostly free of wet paste. The sides are evenly coated while the scored skin remains visible. Wash raw-pork contact surfaces promptly.
Refrigerate overnight.Cover and refrigerate the seasoned pork at 4 °C or below for 720 minutes. The spices cling to the meat and the joint is fully chilled. Never keep the roast marinating at room temperature.
Preheat and prepare the tray.Preheat the oven to 170 °C; arrange 180 g onion, 25 ml oil and 350 ml water in a deep roasting tray, then place the pork on a rack above the liquid. The tray has a shallow bed of liquid and the pork is elevated, not submerged.
Roast gently.Roast at 170 °C for 145 minutes, inspecting the tray twice and ensuring the 350 ml added water and meat juices do not evaporate into a burnt residue. The roast feels tender when pierced and the skin is drying and firming. Check the thickest centre with a probe; reach at least 63 °C, then rest at least 3 minutes.
Brown the surface.Increase to 220 °C and roast for another 20 minutes, watching carefully. The skin becomes noticeably crisp and the surface is browned without acrid black patches. Verify the centre remains above the 63 °C minimum.
Rest the roast.Rest the pork on a clean board for 10 minutes before carving. The juices settle and slices can be cut without shredding all the meat. Respect at least 3 minutes after the meat reaches 63 °C.
Carve and serve.Carve into six servings, dividing the roasted onions and pan juices alongside. Each slice has cooked pork and a little of its chile-scented crust.

Practical

Practical guidance

Serving. Present slices with the softened onion and a spoonful of roasting juices. Traditional accompaniments can include mote, potatoes or salad, prepared separately. Timing. Begin the vinegar-and-chile seasoning the previous day; the passive chilling and resting periods are distinct from oven time. Storage. Chill cooked meat within 2 hours and keep at 4 °C or colder for 3–4 days; reheat leftovers to 74 °C. Variation boundary. A larger whole pig requires a different cooking plan. Do not simply extend these temperatures and times by guesswork.

Control points

Skin stays softA wet surface steams instead of crisping. Keep wet seasoning away from the top skin and finish only after the pork is thoroughly cooked.
Outside darkens earlyExcess sugar in a purchased chile paste or excessive upper heat may scorch. Shield lightly and measure the core temperature.

Nutrition per serving (estimated)

Serving size1 of 6 generous portions
Calories570 kcal
Carbohydrates5 g
Protein39 g
Fat44 g
Fibre1 g
Sodium870 mg

Allergens and food safety

Pork: measure at least 63 °C at the core and rest for 3 minutes; longer roasting is for tender texture. Treat raw marinade and knife boards as contaminated. Keep uncooked animal products away from food that is ready to serve. Wash utensils and hands after raw handling. Cool leftovers promptly in shallow containers, refrigerate at 4 °C or below within 2 hours, use within 3–4 days and reheat leftovers to 74 °C.

Closing

Result: Carved cuchicanca has aromatic pork, roasted onions and a browned surface.
Key control: The identity comes from vinegar-and-ají marination followed by oven roasting, not shallow frying.

Cuchicanca — step-by-step recipe

Ingredients

Ingredients

Method

Practical

Practical guidance

Control points

Nutrition per serving (estimated)

Allergens and food safety

Closing

Peruvian National Dishes

Jalea de pescado

Patarashca de doncella

Caldo blanco