Masitas de Puerco: Authentic Cuban Fried Pork Chunks (Masas de Cerdo Frita)

Intro

Lechon asado gets all the glory at a Cuban table, but masitas de puerco is the dish people actually fight over. Chunks of pork shoulder marinated in sour orange and garlic, fried until the edges go crackly and the inside stays juicy, then hit with raw onion and a squeeze of citrus. It is roast pork's loud, greasy, impossible-to-stop-eating cousin.

You will see it written masas de cerdo frita just as often. Same dish: "masitas" means little pieces, and that is exactly what you get. Order it at any Cuban fonda in Miami and it shows up in a foam container with white rice, black beans, and a wedge of lime, and somehow it is gone before you sit down.

What is Masitas de Puerco?

Masitas de puerco is a classic Cuban dish of bite-sized pork chunks marinated in mojo criollo (sour orange, garlic, cumin, oregano) and fried until golden. The marinade is the same mojo that flavors lechon asado, which is why the two dishes taste like siblings even though one is roasted whole and the other is fried in pieces.

The traditional method tenderizes the pork first, then crisps it in its own rendered fat. Most home cooks now skip the lard and shallow-fry in oil, which gets you the same crackly outside and tender inside in under an hour. Serve it with white rice, black beans, and yuca, and you have a plate that any Cuban grandmother would recognize.

Ingredients

For the pork

• 4 lb pork shoulder (or pork belly for a richer version), cut into 1.5-inch chunks
• 3/4 cup naranja agria (sour orange) juice, or 1/2 cup orange juice + 1/4 cup lime juice (for a mild Cuban kick, stir 1 to 2 Tbsp Jalabáo into the marinade too)
• 8 cloves garlic, crushed or finely minced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• Neutral oil for frying (about 1/2 cup)

For serving

• 1 large white onion, thinly sliced or julienned
• 1/4 cup Cuban mojo, warmed, for drizzling
• Lime wedges
• El Havanero Cuban Hot Sauce, for finishing (optional, but it earns its spot)

Directions

Step 1. Marinate the pork. Put the pork chunks in a bowl with the sour orange juice, garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. For a milder, Cuban-spiced version, stir a tablespoon or two of Jalabáo into the marinade too. Toss so every piece is coated. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, ideally 2 to 3 hours. The acid in the sour orange seasons the meat all the way through and starts to tenderize it.

Step 2. Tenderize, then fry. Pour the pork and its marinade into a wide heavy pot or deep skillet. Add a splash of water to just cover the bottom, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook 20 to 25 minutes until the pork is tender and the liquid has nearly cooked off. Uncover, add the oil, and raise the heat. Fry the chunks in the rendered fat and oil, turning, until the edges are deep golden and crisp, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Step 3. Work in batches. Do not crowd the pan. Crowded pork steams instead of browning. Fry in two or three batches if you need to, and keep the finished chunks warm on a rack in a 200°F oven so they stay crisp while you cook the rest.

Step 4. Soften the onions. In the same pan, with a little of the leftover fat, toss the sliced onion over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes until just softened but still bright. Some cooks skip the pan entirely and pile the onions on raw. Both are correct.

Step 5. Serve. Pile the pork on a platter, scatter the onions over the top, and drizzle with warm mojo. Finish with lime wedges and a few dashes of El Havanero. Serve hot, with white rice and black beans or a side of yuca.

Why El Havanero Works in This Recipe

Fried pork is rich and fatty by design. What it needs is acid and a little heat to keep every bite from feeling heavy, which is the exact job the raw onion and lime are doing on the plate. El Havanero does the same thing in one bottle: a citrusy habanero sauce built on the same mojo criollo backbone as the marinade, so it tastes like part of the dish instead of a topping bolted on after.

It sits at 9 out of 10 on our Barbaro Mojo Cuban heat scale, the hottest of our everyday sauces, so a few dashes go a long way. If you are feeding a mixed table, reach for Jalabáo instead. It is a mild 3 out of 10 with a green, jalapeño brightness that everyone can handle, and it is built on the same Cuban base.

Tips

• Pork shoulder or pork belly. Shoulder gives you the classic lean-but-juicy masita. Pork belly makes a richer, fattier version with more crackle. Both are traditional. Pick by your mood.
• Do not skip the marinade time. Thirty minutes is the floor. A few hours is better. Sour orange needs time to get into the meat, and that is where the Cuban flavor lives.
• Dry before the final fry. If your pork is wet going into the oil, it will splatter and steam instead of crisping. Let the braising liquid cook off, or pat the chunks dry.
• Save the rendered fat. A spoonful of that pork fat is gold for sauteing the onions or starting a pot of black beans the next day.

The Lechon Family: More Cuban Pork Recipes

Masas de cerdo frita is fried, but it lives in the same mojo-marinated family as Cuba's roast pork classics. If you love this, you will want the rest of the lineup:

• Lechon Asado, the whole roast pork that defines Noche Buena, slow-roasted (Caja China optional)
• Smoked Cuban Pork, mojo-marinated pulled pork done low and slow on the smoker
• Cuban Mojo Marinade (Mojo Criollo), the garlic-citrus marinade that powers every recipe on this list
• Best Hot Sauce for Lechon, how to pick the right heat for Cuban (and Filipino) pork

What to Serve It With

• Yuca con Mojo, the classic garlic-citrus side
• Cuban Black Beans, for the rice-and-beans foundation
• White rice, or moros y cristianos (black beans and rice cooked together)
• Tostones, crispy fried plantains for scooping

Final Thoughts

Masitas de puerco proves you do not need a whole pig and a Caja China to eat like a Cuban. Four pounds of pork shoulder, a good sour orange marinade, and a hot pan gets you there in an afternoon. Top it with onions, hit it with mojo and a little El Havanero, and you have the dish people will remember from the meal.

¡Qué bárbaro!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between masas de cerdo and masitas de puerco?

There is no difference. They are two names for the same Cuban dish of marinated, fried pork chunks. "Masas" and "masitas" both mean little pieces, and "cerdo" and "puerco" both mean pork. You will hear both depending on who is cooking.

What cut of pork is best for masitas de puerco?

Pork shoulder (also called pork butt) is the classic choice. It stays juicy and tender after frying. Pork belly works too and gives you a richer, fattier, crispier result. Avoid lean cuts like loin, which dry out.

Do I have to marinate the pork overnight?

No. Thirty minutes is enough to season the meat, and 2 to 3 hours is ideal. Overnight is fine but not necessary, since the sour orange works quickly. The marinade is the same mojo criollo used for lechon asado.

What do you serve with Cuban fried pork chunks?

The classic plate is white rice, black beans, and a starchy side like yuca con mojo or tostones, with raw onion and lime on top of the pork. A few dashes of a Cuban hot sauce like El Havanero or Jalabáo cut the richness.