Pernil Recipes

PERNIL

Steps:

• Heat oven to 300 degrees. Score meat's skin with a sharp knife, making a cross-hatch pattern. Pulse garlic, onion, oregano, cumin, chili, salt and pepper together in a food processor, adding oil in a drizzle and scraping down sides as necessary, until mixture is pasty. (Alternatively, mash ingredients in a mortar and pestle.) Blend in the vinegar.
• Rub this mixture well into pork, getting it into every nook and cranny. Put pork in a roasting pan and film bottom with water. Roast pork for several hours (a 4-pound shoulder may be done in 3 hours), turning every hour or so and adding more water as necessary, until meat is very tender. Finish roasting with the skin side up until crisp, raising heat at end of cooking if necessary.
• Let meat rest for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting it up; meat should be so tender that cutting it into uniform slices is almost impossible; rather, whack it up into chunks. Serve with lime.

SPANISH ROASTED PORK (PERNIL)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Rub pork shoulder all over with lime.
• Mash garlic into paste in a mortar and pestle or pilon. Transfer to a bowl; mix in salt, 1 tablespoon oil, oregano, black pepper, adobo seasoning, and vinegar.
• Lift skin off the pork to 1-inch from the narrow part of the bone. Make 3/4-inch slits all over the pork with a sharp knife. Stuff seasoned garlic paste into the slits. Pull skin back over to cover the pork.
• Mix remaining 1/2 teaspoon oil and sazon seasoning together in a small bowl. Rub over the skin of the pork.
• Transfer pork to a large roasting pan. Pour in beer. Cover with aluminum foil, sealing well.
• Roast in the preheated oven until slightly pink in the center, about 3 hours.
• Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Uncover pork and continue roasting until skin is golden brown and crispy, about 2 1/2 hours. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes before carving.

PUERTO RICAN STYLE PERNIL (ROAST PORK)

Steps:

• In a bowl mix garlic, salt and oregano.
• With a sharp knife make deep cuts in to the pork only on meat side,and stuff the garlic mixture into the slits.
• The more cuts the better the flavor.
• Sprinkle the other seasoning the Adobo and the Sazon all over the outside.
• Then rub the seasonings in making sure the entire surface is covered.
• Roast the Pork in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 4-6 hours uncovered in a pan with a rack.
• Roast the pork skin side down for the first 2 hours and then turn skin side up for the remaining time.
• Pork should be well done and tender.
• Make sure all juices run clear before removing from oven.

PERNIL

Steps:

• Score the fat on the pork shoulder in a criss-cross hatch fashion. Then, cut deeply once in each direction across the pork, like you are going to cut it into four quarters, but then leave them attached at the bottom. Use a sharp knife to make about 20 slits, about 1 inch deep, all over the meat. Place the meat in a 13 x 9 baking pan, or another shallow baking pan large enough to comfortably hold the meat with some space around it.
• Combine the oil, garlic, fresh and dried oregano, Adobo, paprika, salt and pepper. Rub the mixture all over the meat, working it all over the surface and into the slits. Cover the pork with foil and refrigerate overnight.
• Bring the pork to room temperature, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300F°. Bake the pork, covered for 3 hours, then remove the foil and bake for another 3 to 4 hours at the same temperature, until the pork is fall-apart tender. The internal temperature should be at least 165°, but it may be higher, which is fine - it's most important that the meat is super tender. If you would like a crustier exterior, turn the heat to 375°F and bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the outside of the pork has a nice browned crust.
• Let the pernil sit for at least 20 minutes, then use your fingers (if it's not too hot; some people like to wear kitchen gloves to protect their fingers from the heat), or two forks to pull the meat into chunks. Sprinkle the meat with the lemon and orange juice, season with additional salt and pepper, and serve hot or warm.

DADDY EDDIE'S ROAST PORK (PERNIL), PUERTO RICAN-STYLE

Steps:

• Combine olive oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt, and black pepper in a mortar and pestle; mash into a paste.
• Make deep slits into the pork with a small knife. Stuff slits with the paste; rub any remaining paste over the pork.
• Place pork in a plastic roasting bag and put in a roasting pan with a rack. Let marinate in the refrigerator, 8 to 48 hours.
• Take pork out of the refrigerator, uncover, and bring to room temperature, 1 to 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Roast pork skin-side down in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 2 hours. Flip pork and continue roasting, skin-side up, until juices run clear and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C), 2 to 4 hours more.

PERNIL DOMINICANO | ROASTED PORK SHOULDER | MADE TO ORDER | CHEF ZEE COOKS

Steps:

• Poke holes all over the pernil using a cross method to get small to medium holes
• Then place in a large mixing bowl and add 1 cup of water and the vinegar
• Massage the vinegar and water into the pork and let it sit for 5-10 while you mix the marinade
• Combine garlic, oregano, salt, sopita, cumin, onion, black pepper, and thyme in a food processor and blend
• Then add the freshly squeezed orange juice, lime juice, and olive oil. Mix again and set marinade aside
• Drain the pernil-no worries if you don't every single last drop of vinegar + water
• Season pernil thoroughly using the marinade. Be sure to massage the marinade into the holes we made earlier. It looks weird at first, but your taste buds will thank you later
• Cover pernil with saran wrap and let it marinade for a minimum of 4 hours. Best to marinade for a whole day.
• In a LARGE pot, add pork-skin side up-and add 1-2 cups of water. Be sure to include all of the marinade that in the mixing bowl. Boil for 45 mins to an hour.
• Switch Pork-skin side up-to a sturdy pan and roast covered for 3 hours at 350 degrees making sure to baste it every hour. The pernil will become light golden brown and juicy during this time.
• At the 4th hour, take out 50% of the juices and roast uncovered for one more hour
• **Optional** Once the pernil is done, broil for 5 minutes to get super crispy skin

PERNIL (ROAST PORK SHOULDER)

Steps:

• Combine the onions, garlic, lime juice, 1 cup white wine, salt and pepper in the jar of a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add more wine. Reserve.
• Place the pork shoulder on a cutting board and score the skin with a sharp paring knife, making a cross-hatch pattern.
• Transfer the pork to a big bowl (or brining bag) and pour the marinade over it. Sprinkle with the herbs and rub the mixture into the pork, getting into every nook and cranny. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours, turning a few times so every inch gets to soak the marinade.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the pork on a roasting pan and pour the marinade along with the remaining white wine.
• Roast for several hours, 35 - 40 minutes for every pound, turning every hour or so and adding more wine to the pan as needed, until the meat is very tender and a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 195-205 degrees F. Remove from oven.
• Turn the pernil skin side up, brush the skin with the butter and place it under the broiler until crisp.
• Let it rest, tented with foil, for at least 3 minutes (and up to 30 minutes) before serving with the pan juices.

PERNIL ASADO

Steps:

• Mix all the ingredients and reserve this preparation to season the meat.
• Place the pork in a baking dish that can be refrigerated.
• Mix the garlic powder with the salt and season the pork. Add the fresh garlic on top of the meat. Marinate for 3 hours in the refrigerator.
• Using a small, sharp knife, remove the fat from the meat by letting it stand on one edge and keeping it in one piece.
• Start at the wide end and go to the narrow end.
• Leave enough fat on the meat to turn the fat on its side while seasoning the meat.
• The fat will be added back on the seasoned meat and cooked on the meat.
• With a little marinade, season the side of the fat that covers the meat. The other side (the top) should only have salt.
• Make very deep cuts on all over the meat and season with the marinade, ensuring that the seasoning penetrates well into all the cuts.
• Put the fat on the meat so that it looks the same as before cutting and sprinkle with salt.
• Cover the meat with a cling film and refrigerate for 12 hours.
• Remove the meat 1h30 before cooking and let the meat come back to room temperature before cooking.
• Place the meat in a deep oven dish with the fat side up. There will be a lot of fat, so be sure to use a deep dish.
• Preheat the oven for 45 minutes at 400 F / 200 C before baking (while the meat comes back to room temperature).
• Bake at 400 F / 200 C, and covered for 1 hour, then reduce the temperature to 300 F / 150 C, and cook again covered for 3 hours. Do not turn the meat over. Then uncover and cook for an additional hour.
• When the meat is cooked, poke it on the side with a fork to see if it is falls off from the bone. If the top (cuerito) is not crisp enough, continue cooking at 400 F / 200 C for 15 minutes or until crisp.
• Remove the meat from the oven and let it rest for 30 minutes before cutting it.
• To cut it, completely remove the fat (cuerito) and reserve it.
• Slice the meat then cut the fat (cuerito) into pieces and sprinkle on the meat.
• Serve the meat with a piece of cuerito.

PERNIL (PUERTO RICAN STYLE ROAST PORK SHOULDER)

Steps:

• Grab a firm hold on the top layer of the skin and, carefully, run your knife's blade along the line where the fat and skin meet. Use a very sharp boning knife to cut between the fat and the meat, leaving the back and sides of the skin attached- creating a pocket.
• After you create the pocket, pull the skin back a little and pierce slits into the flesh using the tip of your knife, taking care not to puncture the skin in the process. Flip the roast over and make slits in the bottom of it as well.
• Transfer your pernil to a large bowl (or leave it in the sink if you washed it) and pour the white vinegar outside the piece of meat, inside the pocket and on the skin. Rub the vinegar into the meat well.
• In a bowl, combine the mashed garlic, sofrito, adobo, onion powder, sazón, oregano, salt, and pepper to create a thick paste.Use a large spoon to scoop a third of the paste into the cavity you created between the skin and flesh. Massage the rub it into the meat: make sure to press the paste into those slits in the meat under the skin.
• Flip the pork over and rub the bottom side with another third of the spice paste. Flip it back over and rub the remaining spice paste onto the the skin.
• Lay out a large piece of heavy duty aluminum foil (or enough sheets to completely wrap the pernil). Over the foil, lay out three sheets of plastic wrap. Put the seasoned pork shoulder in the center of the wrapping film and wrap it tightly in the plastic first, then wrap it tightly in the foil.
• Set the wrapped pork on a sheetpan and and let it marinate in the fridge for at least 2 days, but 3 days is best. You can roast the pernil in as little as 12 hours, but it won't be as flavorful.
• When you're ready to roast, unwrap the pernil and put it on a roasting rack inside of a roasting pan. Pat the pernil skin down with a paper towel to dry it and remove the spice paste. Leave the pork to sit on the countertop for at least 30 minutes to an hour to warm up. A cold pernil takes longer to begin roasting than a semi-warm one does. Position the middle oven rack down one notch so it is in the lower third of the oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F,
• Roast the pernil at 350°F for 5 hours.
• When the roasting time is up, remove the roasting pan from the oven. Increase the oven temperature to 425°F.
• Season the outside of the pernil with a light sprinkling of kosher salt (about 1/2 teaspoon). Carefully, transfer the pernil to a clean, disposable roasting pan.Once the oven reaches temperature, put the pernil back in and finish roasting for up to 1 hour. Turn the pan every 15 minutes to vent the steam that builds up and to crisp up the skin evenly. The skin will begin to blister, harden, and sizzle. Once the pernil skin sounds hard when tapped with the back of a knife, remove it from the oven. This may happen before the hour is up.
• The fully cooked pernil should have an internal temperature of between 180-200°F. The juices of the pernil will run clear with no blood, as well. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes in order to allow the internal juices to settle down.
• After allowing the pernil to rest a few minutes, remove the chicharrón and shred the meat from the bone. Serve the pernil while hot.

HOW TO MAKE AUTHENTIC CUBAN PERNIL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. (Once marinated for desired amount of time.)
• In a large mixing bowl, with a sharp knife, carefully lift 3/4 of the skin from the meat. Once skin is lifted, gently poke holes throughout meat.
• Season generously with salt and pepper.
• Fill holes with garlic.
• Make a paste with oil and remaining seasonings. Generously rub pork with paste.
• Cover bowl and refrigerate for at least two hours. After two hours, add in a cup of mojo to bowl, continue to marinate for another hour or overnight in fridge.
• Into a large roasting pan, add pork, skin side up. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 5-7 hours. Remove foil and raise heat to 350 degrees for twenty minutes.
• Remove from heat, let rest for ten minutes. Sprinkle lime juice before serving, if desired.

PERNIL

Steps:

• Whisk together the cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, paprika, white pepper and salt in a medium bowl.
• Place the pork shoulder skin-side up on a rimmed baking sheet and rub with oil until evenly coated. Flip the pork so it is skin-side down and apply half of the spice mixture to the meat, sides and skin, massaging to make sure it is completely seasoned. Flip the pork so it is skin-side up again and with a long sharp knife, make a cut under the skin between the fat and the meat, avoiding cutting into the meat. This will create a pocket between the skin and the meat.
• Combine the remaining spice mixture with enough oil to create a paste. Using your fingers, season the inside of the pocket with the paste, avoiding the skin. Coat the bottom and sides of the pork with the paste, patting it in as needed and continuing to avoid the skin. Transfer the pork skin-side down to a large deep pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 day.
• Remove the pork from the refrigerator at least 1 hour before roasting and bring to room temperature. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Transfer the pork skin-side down to a large roasting pan and roast until deep golden brown, about 2 hours. Flip the pork and continue roasting skin-side up until the meat shreds easily with a fork and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the pork registers at least 165 degrees F, up to 3 hours more.
• Allow the pork to rest in its juices, uncovered, for 1 hour.
• Pull the pork into chunks with a fork and serve.

PERNIL

Steps:

• Place the pork shoulder, fat-side up, on a cutting board. With a sharp knife, score the skin and fat in a cross-hatch pattern, making diagonal cuts about 1 1/2 inches apart and cutting down to the meat so the marinade can penetrate. Transfer the pork to a large re-sealable plastic bag set over a baking dish or bowl.
• To a blender, add the garlic, oregano, cilantro, cumin, lime juice, orange juice, chipotle and adobo sauce, 3 tablespoons salt and 1 tablespoon pepper. Drizzle in the olive oil and pulse until you have a nice puree. Pour the marinade all over the pork, being sure to get it into the deep cuts. Zip the bag closed and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Add about a 1/2 inch water to a roasting pan fitted with a roasting rack. Remove the pork from the marinade and place in the center of the rack.
• Cover with foil and roast until the pork is fork tender and deep brown in color, 4 hours. Check on the pork after 3 1/2 hours; if skin is not deep brown, remove the foil for last 30 minutes. Transfer the pork to cutting board and let rest for 20 minutes before slicing into thick pieces. Spoon any remaining pan juices over the meat to serve.