Yield: 12 to 15 servings
Pernil Recipe
Pernil is a marinated, slow roasted pork shoulder or leg with crispy pork skin and tender, flavorful pork underneath. It is most popular in Latin American countries around Christmas, but is delicious all year!
Ingredients
- 15 peeled garlic cloves, divided
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1 green bell pepper, with the seeds removed and roughly chopped
- 1 large white onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 cup fresh oregano, with large stems removed
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 packet sazon, or homemade sazon seasoning
- 1 teaspoon adobo powder
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 8 to 10 pound pork shoulder roast, or leg roast with fat cap, cleaned and damp dry
- 3 to 4 cups chicken broth
- orange or lime wedges, for serving
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Instructions
- Add 5 cloves of garlic, oil, bell pepper, onion, cilantro, salt, sazon, adobo powder, black pepper and cumin to a food processor or blender. Process until smooth, about 30 seconds. Set aside.
- Cut the fat cap from the back of the roast, but keep it intact and on the roast. Just fold it over so you can access the meat underneath.
- Cut deep holes into the roast, so that you can fit your finger into each hole. Flip the roast over and cut deep holes into the back as well.
- Stuff the remaining garlic cloves into the holes in the back of the roast. Then spoon a 3rd of the marinade over the back of roast and push the marinade into all of the holes as well.
- Flip the roast over and cover the top in another 3rd of the marinade, again pushing the marinade into the holes of the roast.
- Lay the fat cap back over the roast and make 4-5 deep, long, evenly spaced slices along the top of the fat, without cutting all of the way through. Then, make 4-5 more perpendicular slices to the first slices to form a checker pattern on top.
- Pour the remaining marinade over the fat cap and rub it generously into the slices of the fat cap so that every crevice is covered in the marinade.
- Marinate: Cover the pork with aluminum foil and refrigerate for 24-48 hours, flipping every 3-5 hours. This step is important to ensure you get the best flavor!
- When the roast is ready, preheat the oven to 350°F and remove the pan from the fridge.
- Lift up the aluminum foil and pour in the chicken broth or water until there is about 2 inches of liquid in the bottom of your pan.
- Replace the foil and place the roast in the oven for 3 ½ - 4 hours, rotating the pan every hour to ensure even cooking.
- Remove the aluminum foil from the pan and turn the oven heat up to 400°F. Continue roasting the pork for another 30 minutes or until the skin gets crispy on top. The internal temperature on an instant read meat thermometer should be at least 180°F or higher.
- Remove the roast from the oven and let it cool for 20-30 minutes before carving and shredding. The pork will be super crisp on the outside and tender underneath from the layer of fat.
- Once the meat has been shredded, pour some of the juice from the pan and the fresh orange juice and lime juice over the meat and stir to combine.
Video
Notes
Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge.
Freeze: Freeze cooled, shredded pork in freezer safe airtight storage bags for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheat: Add meat and a couple of tablespoons of water to a bowl and cover with a wet paper towel. Heat in the microwave in 30 second bursts until warmed through. Or add meat to a large non-stick skillet with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water over low-medium heat.
Pork With Fat: No matter what pork cut you choose, make sure it is bone-in, with a good amount of fat and the skin still attached. Some grocery stores in the US may call the pork shoulder a “Picnic Pork Roast” on the label, so keep that in mind.
Plan Ahead: Make sure you plan ahead to allow plenty of time to make your pernil. If you try to rush the marinating time or cooking time, it won’t be half as good. This pernil will take about 5 hours of cooking time including cooling time after cooking.
Marinate: It is SO very important to marinate the pork for the full amount of time. It is best if you can leave it marinading for a couple of days, but need at least 12 hours at minimum.
Garlic: Hiding whole garlic cloves inside the pork is a traditional step that is a huge key to giving your pernil ALL THE FLAVOR. Don’t skimp or skip the garlic, you will regret it.
Sofrito: Some Puerto Ricans use sofrito to marinade their pork. If you want to use sofrito, skip the onion and bell pepper and use 1/2 cup sofrito instead.
Sour Orange: Want to add naranja agria, sour or bitter orange juice, to your pork marinade? Add 1/3 cup to your marinade. Fresh is best, but bottled works in a pinch.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 294kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 37g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 125mg, Sodium: 785mg, Potassium: 727mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 119IU, Vitamin C: 10mg, Calcium: 97mg, Iron: 4mg