Pernil: Puerto Rican Roast Pork Shoulder
Pernil is a classic Puerto Rican dish known for its succulent and flavorful roasted pork shoulder, perfect for special occasions and festive gatherings. This recipe brings together the rich tastes of garlic, herbs, and spices with tender, juicy pork and irresistibly crispy skin.
Ingredients
🐖 17.890 lbs whole pork picnic shoulder Bravo Supermarket with skin and bone
🧄 1 bunch peeled garlic cloves no brand specified
🌿 Adobo seasoning Badia with Complete Seasoning
🌿 Fresh Finds Oregano
🌿 McCormick Black Peppercorn Grinder
🌿 Green sofrito optional
🌿 Healthy Rican Sazón optional
🧂 Salt for seasoning the skin
🫒 Olive oil for seasoning the skin
Instructions
1- Prepare the Pork:
- Start by placing your whole pork picnic shoulder onto a large cutting board.
- Using a sharp chef's knife, carefully remove the fat cap/skin from the pork shoulder, keeping it intact.
- Set the skin aside for later use.
2- Make the Marinade:
- In a small wooden mortar and pestle (pilon), crush the peeled garlic cloves.
- Mix in the adobo seasoning, oregano, black pepper, sofrito, and sazón.
- Thoroughly blend these ingredients to form a robust, aromatic marinade.
3- Marinate the Pork:
- Place the skinned pork shoulder in a large aluminum roasting pan.
- Generously rub the prepared marinade all over the pork, ensuring it is completely covered.
- Make several slits in the pork and insert pieces of garlic to intensify the flavor throughout the roast.
4- Prepare the Skin:
- Lay the reserved skin over the marinated pork, covering it completely.
- Drizzle olive oil over the skin, then sprinkle with salt, rubbing until the salt has dissolved.
- This step helps to develop a crispy and delicious "cuerito" (skin).
5- Roast:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Cover the roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil and roast the pork in the oven for 3.5 hours.
- This will ensure the meat is tender and thoroughly cooked.
6- Crisp the Skin:
- After 3.5 hours, remove the aluminum foil and continue roasting uncovered for an additional hour to achieve a beautifully crispy skin.
- If needed, use an air fryer set to 350°F for about 10 minutes to further crisp the skin.
7- Serve:
- Once perfectly roasted, transfer the Pernil to a ceramic baking dish for serving.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro and lime wedges for a refreshing finish.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 4.5 hours
Total Time: 5 hours
Servings: 8-12
Equipment:
- Cutting board white plastic
- Chef's knife & smaller utility knife
- Large aluminum roasting pan
- Small wooden mortar and pestle
- Standard metal spoon
- Aluminum foil
- Small metal oil dispenser
- Standard salt shaker
- Ceramic baking dish for serving
- Air fryer optional
Cooking Tips
- Detaching and reattaching the skin ensures that the pork remains juicy while infusing flavors directly into the meat.
- Inserting garlic into slits intensifies the aromatic flavors within the pork.
- Achieving crispy skin requires adequate seasoning with salt and olive oil.
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