Hornado

Hornado is roast pig, cooked whole, in Ecuadorian cuisine. It is often served in highland markets. Hornado is generally accompanied by llapingacho, mote (hominy), and vegetables.

Hornado is roasted after seasonning the pork  in marinade of beer or chicha, garlic, cumin and achiote or annatto and other spices, until soft and tender.

Hornado de chancho or slow roasted pork is an easier variant, that can be made for a smaller dinner party or small family celebration.

Hornado is an icon dish of the Ecuadorian Andes prepared with pork, indispensable in markets and restaurants all over the country.

Its name refers to the preparation of the meat in the oven (‘horno’), according to the traditions of the different communities. Indeed, hornado, which can refer both to the dish and to the preparation technique, has been developed and turned into different variations in in almost all regions of the Ecuadorian Andes, from the province of Carchi in the north, to the province of Azuay far south.

It is presently one of the five most popular dishes in the country, above all for the exquisiteness of the pork, which combined with sweet corn on the cob (‘choclo’), toasted corn, potato patties (llapingachos) and a sour salad made with lettuce and tomatoes, result in a rich and tempting Creole flavor.