Pernil
Bone-in, skin-on pork shoulder deeply slit and stuffed with a garlic-oregano-adobo paste rather than just surface-rubbed, then roasted low and slow for hours until fall-apart tender before the oven is finally raised to blister the skin into crackling cuerito. A defining centerpiece of Puerto Rican Nochebuena, Christmas, and New Year's tables, reflecting the island's Spanish colonial pork-roasting tradition combined with local seasoning.
Meat
Ingredients
- 6-8 lb bone-in, skin-on pork shoulder
- 12 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp adobo seasoning
- 2 tsp sazon, or achiote powder plus cumin
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp white vinegar or lime juice
- 2 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp black pepper
Steps
- Make a paste of the garlic, oregano, adobo, sazon, salt, pepper, olive oil, and vinegar or lime juice.
- Cut deep slits all over the pork, avoiding the skin, and stuff the paste into the slits, rubbing the remaining paste over the meat, not the skin.
- Pat the skin dry and refrigerate uncovered overnight to help it crisp later.
- Roast at 325F, skin-side up, for 5-6 hours, about 45 minutes per pound, until the internal temperature reaches 195-205F and the meat is fork-tender.
- In the last 20-30 minutes, increase the oven to 450F or broil to blister and crisp the skin, watching closely to prevent burning.
- Rest 20-30 minutes before shredding or slicing, and serve with the crispy skin pieces.