Lonchería La Lupita Mercado Santiago ★ 4.5
Lonchería La Lupita inside Mercado de Santiago Mérida runs cochinita pibil and lechón al horno from a counter stall, Netflix Salt Fat Acid Heat featured.
Try: Cochinita pibil and lechón al horno
History
Spanish lechón roasting met Mayan achiote marination in Yucatán colonial kitchens. Today it's the Sunday-lunch tradition across Yucatán cantinas and markets, especially at Lonchería La Lupita inside Mercado de Santiago, where it sells out by 13:30.
Common allergens: Pork
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 1 suckling pig (about 5 kg) or 2 kg pork shoulder with skin
- 150g achiote paste
- 200 ml sour orange juice
- 8 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- Banana leaves to wrap
Method
- Blend achiote, sour orange, garlic, salt, oregano and pepper into a marinade.
- Rub the pig thoroughly inside and out, working the marinade into the skin. Refrigerate covered overnight.
- Wrap the pig in banana leaves, then in foil.
- Roast at 160°C (320°F) for 3.5 hours.
- Open the foil and leaves, raise the temperature to 220°C (425°F) and roast 30 more minutes to crisp the skin.
- Rest 20 minutes before carving.
- Serve in tortillas with pickled red onion and habanero salsa.
Tip from the editors. Most home ovens can't fit a whole suckling pig; use pork shoulder with the skin attached for the same flavour profile.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
Where to eat lechón al horno
Lechón al horno in Mérida
Mercado de Santiago ★ 4.4
Mercado de Santiago Mérida runs Lonchería La Lupita cochinita tacos and lechón al horno under 120 pesos, breakfast-to-lunch counter row in Santiago barrio.
Try: Cochinita pibil and lechón al horno
La Tradición ★ 4.3
La Tradición on Calle 60 in Mérida runs chef David Cetina's Yucatecan recados, poc chuc and queso relleno from a family kitchen of two decades.
Signature: Poc chuc, Queso relleno, Sopa de lima
Mercado Lucas de Gálvez ★ 4.5
Mercado Lucas de Gálvez on Calle 65A Mérida is the city's main 1887 market with 2,000 vendors, Doña Mary cochinita and a top-floor street-food court.
More cities are in research. Want lechón al horno covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.