Next to Pork Chops, Puerto Rican Pernil has to be my favorite dish. It's the top two things I get from my local Puerto Rican restaurant. It's a flavorful pork roast that has the most tender meat and delicious crispy skin. This is a dish typically made for special occasions and a holiday meal, but I crave it random times during the year so I had to learn to make it for myself.
After taking some tips from others I have landed on my recipe for pernil and I think it is pretty well done. The key is to get your marinade on the pork shoulder and let it do it's thing overnight in the fridge. Cook the pernil slowly and don't rush the process. I know you are going to want to get into it fast after smelling it all through your house, but the time makes the meat fall off the bone tender. Cooking time will vary based on the weight of the pork shoulder but go based on 25-30 minutes per pound. You also want to make sure the skin is dry to achieve a crispy skin or "cuero". The skin and fat gets a crunchy chicharrón texture and it is decadent.
Pernil Ingredients
Skin-On Pork Shoulder- Also known as pork butt (even though is infact not the butt of the pig) is important to get skin on because it's like the best part! The crispy skin is such a treat.
Sofrito- This goes in the marinade for the pork and gives a lot of flavor. I used the Goya sofrito tomato cooking base and recaito culantro cooking base.
Garlic- I use LOTS of garlic cloves for this recipe. Garlic makes everything better.
Seasonings- Adobo and Sazon are key in this recipe for both the meat and the skin.
Let's Make This Puerto Rican Pernil Recipe!
In a small bowl add garlic cloves and using an immersion blender break into smaller pieces. If you have a pilón or mortar & pestle this will be ideal. Then add adobo seasoning, both red and green cooking bases, salt, black pepper, oregano, cumin, sazon, lime juice, and olive oil. Mix to create marinade.
With a sharp knife, carefully cut back the skin separating it from the meat. Leave it connecting at the end of the skin so it creates a flap.
Using that same knife or a paring knife, poke deep cuts all around the pork shoulder including the underside.
Spoon the marinade all over the meat being sure to stuff the holes with pieces of garlic. Also get the marinade under the skin, the part that comes in contact with the meat.
Put the skin back over the meat and then pat the top of the skin dry with a paper towel. Season the skin with salt and a packet of sazon and rub skin so that the seasoning completely covers it.
Place skin side-up into a roasting pan and cover with aluminum foil. Refrigerate overnight.
Remove from the fridge and let sit out for 30 minutes to come to room temperature.
Lift foil and pat dry the pork skin one more time with a paper towel to ensure the skin is dry.
Cook in a 350 degree oven for 5 hours.
Remove from the oven and bast the meat with the pan juices. Make sure you are only basting the meat and not the skin.
Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees and place the roast pork back in the oven uncovered for about 25-30 minutes to get the skin crispy. Make sure to watch it since all ovens are different and you don't want to burn it.
Remove from the oven for the last time and let sit for about 15 minutes.
Pull out the bone (which should come out easily) and shred the meat.
What To Eat With Pernil?
- Arroz Con Gandules (rice with pigeon peas)
- Tostones
- Pickled Onions
- Lime Wedges
- Maduros
Other Recipes You May Enjoy!
- Arroz Con Gandules
- Pastelon (Sweet Plantain Lasagna)
- Puerto Rican Style Pork Chops
- Pollo Guisado
- Puerto Rican Style Red Beans
Puerto Rican Pernil
Ingredients
- 9 lb pork shoulder
- 1 head garlic
- 1/2 tbsp adobo seasoning
- 2 tbsp sofrito (tomato cooking base)
- 1 tbsp recaito
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 packet sazon
- 1 lime juiced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- In a small bowl add garlic cloves and using an immersion blender break into smaller pieces. If you have a pilón or mortar & pestle this will be ideal. Then add adobo seasoning, both red and green cooking bases, salt, black pepper, oregano, cumin, sazon, lime juice, and olive oil. Mix to create marinade.
- With a sharp knife, carefully cut back the skin separating it from the meat. Leave it connecting at the end of the skin so it creates a flap.
- Using that same knife or a paring knife, poke deep cuts all around the pork shoulder including the underside.
- Spoon the marinade all over the meat being sure to stuff the holes with pieces of garlic. Also get the marinade under the skin, the part that comes in contact with the meat.
- Put the skin back over the meat and then pat the top of the skin dry with a paper towel. Season the skin with salt and a packet of sazon and rub skin so that the seasoning completely covers it.
- Place skin side-up into a roasting pan and cover with aluminum foil. Refrigerate overnight.
- Remove from the fridge and let sit out for 30 minutes to come to room temperature.
- Lift foil and pat dry the pork skin one more time with a paper towel to ensure the skin is dry.
- Cook in a 350 degree oven for 5 hours.
- Remove from the oven and bast the meat with the pan juices. Make sure you are only basting the meat and not the skin.
- Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees and place the roast pork back in the oven uncovered for about 25-30 minutes to get the skin crispy. Make sure to watch it since all ovens are different and you don't want to burn it.
- Remove from the oven for the last time and let sit for about 15 minutes.
- Pull out the bone (which should come out easily) and shred the meat.
Video
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