Ingredients:
1 whole pork loin, deboned and butterflied
1 cup of white rice
1/2 cup of green peas
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup of cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup of scallions, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
8 banana leaves
1/4 cup of achiote paste
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350F (175C).
In a bowl, mix together the rice, peas, garlic, cilantro, scallions, salt, and pepper. Spread the mixture over the butterflied pork loin. Roll the pork loin up and secure it with kitchen twine.
Spread the achiote paste over the entire surface of the pork.
Lay out the banana leaves on a work surface, shiny side down. Place the pork roll in the center of the leaves and wrap the leaves around the pork, tucking in the ends to seal the pork inside.
Place the wrapped pork in a baking dish and cover it with aluminum foil.
Bake in the preheated oven for 2 hours or until the pork is cooked through.
Remove the pork from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
When serving the Lechona, it is typically presented whole, with the banana leaves still attached. It is often accompanied by traditional Colombian sides such as white rice, avocado, and arepa. The meat is generally eaten with the fingers, pulling it off the bones.
It's important to note that the preparation of Lechona can be a bit time-consuming and may require some special ingredients such as banana leaves and achiote paste. These can typically be found in Latin American markets, but if it is not available in your area, you can use aluminum foil to wrap the pork instead of banana leaves.