Pernil - Puerto Rican Pork Shoulder
Pernil is a traditional dish commonly found in Latin American cuisine, particularly in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba. It refers to a slow-roasted pork shoulder or leg, marinated with various herbs, spices, and sometimes citrus juices, to enhance its flavor.
Ingredients
Softrito
- 2 T. olive oil
- 1 head of garlic peeled/minced
- 1 large onion diced
- 1 cubanelle pepper diced
- 1 bell pepper diced
- 1 large can diced tomatoes drained
- 1 bunch cilantro rough chop
- Splash of apple cider vinegar
- 1 packet Sazon
- a few shakes of salt and pepper
Pork
- 1 pork shoulder
- 1 head of garlic peeled/chopped
Instructions
Prepare the Sofrito
- Heat oil in the pan, add in the garlic, onions and let the sweat for a little bit.
- Add peppers and cook until softened.
- Add tomatoes, cilantro, Sazon, vinegar, salt, and pepper
- Crank the heat to med-high to cook off as much liquid as we can. We want it to be somewhere between salsa and tomato paste for a consistency. It will take about 30-40min with occasional stirring
Prep the Pork Shoulder
- Peel a head of garlic and cut larger pieces in quarters. You want a fair amount of pieces in all.
- Stab the pork shoulder and insert a piece or two of garlic into the slit. Do this until all around until the garlic is gone
- Put the pork shoulder in a gallon Zip Lock bag and stand up opened.
- Pour in about 2 cups of the sofrito. Use a large spoon to push the sofrito down the sides so it gets all around the pork and stays there.
- Close the bag, if possible and tightly wrap in saran wrap.
- Marinate overnight
Cook the Pork (Two Options)
- 300F bake covered for 3 hours, then remove the cover and cook for 3-4 more hours until the meat falls apart.
- Crock pot on low for 8 hours.
Notes
It's worth the time for this recipe for juicy, flavorful roast.