Pork Perfection

One small town has made spitroasting pigs a way of life. Here, rotating roasting has become a timeconsuming, meticulous and perfected work of art. Welcome to pork paradise.

Every weekend, hundreds of Sanjuaneros drive high up into the mountains south of San Juan to go hog wild. Literally.

Guavate, a picturesque little town only 40 minutes from San Juan, is home of the lechón. The area, specifically one stretch of road known as "la Ruta de Lechón," is inundated with lechóneras (roadside cafeterias) that sell hundreds of whole pigs each weekend. The restaurants are simple structures, often little more than four wood walls, though all are outfitted with the requisite openair verandas and dancefloors. The scene is simple and rustic, with no frills — people flock here for the heavenly lechón.

Seeing a whole pig roasted on a spit can be shocking for firsttimers, but one bite into a succulent morsel with its crispy skin will convert even vegetarians. Traditionally, each pig is slowly roasted for six to eight hours over charcoal on a wooden spit, but today many have switched to gas ovens. The meat is then hoisted up and displayed for passersby to see — a very effective advertising method. Locals know that the hours of work reward eaters with a delicious trifecta of crispy, smoky and juicy.

But with more than a dozen lechóneras dotting Guavate's Road 184, how do you know which one's the best? Every owner touts their "secret family recipe," butas any globetrotting streetfoodie knows, the best method to judge is by which eatery has the biggest throngs of locals, the loudest salsa music and the liveliest atmosphere — crowds are always the best indicators of the best eateries.

Several stand out: Los Pinos, El Rancho Original and La Reliquia, which are all clustered along Road 184 at KM27.5. Los Pinos owner Tomás Rodríguez says his restaurant is the best because he is among the few that still use charcoal. "There's a distinctive taste with charcoal because the pig takes in the smoke, making the pork very flavorful," he says. He also boasts that his meat is the freshest, since Los Pinos uses only local hogs. An impatient line of more than 30 substantiates his claim — Los Pinos seems to be a clear local favorite. Sanjuanero Vicente Feliciano says that Los Pinos' pork is "delicious," adding "you certainly don't come here to eat healthy."

The roasted pork is definitely juicy and tender, and the skin is unbelievably crispy — causing a scramble to ensue for the last bits on our table. At 2pm, a live band starts playing salsa,turning the restaurant into a throbbing club. "This is a great way to burn offthose calories we just ate," says María Alejandra Román as she works offher rump roast by shaking hers.

It's a local bus that leads us straight to the next lechónera — we simply follow the 20 people that got offit and bee line straight for El Rancho Original.Owner Carlos Santos boasts that his pork is also raised locally and says that using a gas oven, like he does, is better for the environment than the charcoal of a certain neighbor...and tastes just as good. "What matters is the freshness of the meat and the spices we use," he says, claiming that his restaurant can go through 10 to 12 pigs in a single day. The proof seems to be in the pork.

"The skin is really crispy," Rebecca Delgado of New York agrees. "It's a little dry, which is how I like it." I agree. However, the skin has a little less crunch than at Los Pinos.

At La Reliquia, the ambience is quieter, with guaracha playing in the background. Diners José Rodríguez and his wife, Lourdes, have been faithful to La Reliquia for more than five years.

"It's hard not to find good lechón in Guavate, but you have to come early because of the crowds," José says. La Reliquia owner María Pérez is unwilling to give away her secret ingredients, but assures us that everything she sells is homemade with a distinctive combination of spices.

The pork here is also succulent and tasty — the meat is juicy, the skin crispy, but neither overly so. Choosing a winner is no easy feat, but that's what I've come here to do. The verdict? Los Pinos. Their lechón has the crispiest skin and the smokiest flavor.

However, along this route of pork perfection, maybe it doesn't matter whose meat is juicier or what fuels the flames — I became intoxicated by the live music and happy faces. With the Caribbean's best barbecue, who can blame them for the smiles?

This Little Piggy

Get great lechón without the drive at these Old San Juan eateries:

Vaca Brava, Calle Recinto Sur 253; 7877233700
Raíces, Calle Recinto Sur 315; 7872892121; www.restauranteraices.com
Bodegón de Aquí, Calle Tetuán 255; 7877221100