What is Pernil? - How to Make Puerto Rican Roast Pork

What is Pernil? - How to Make Puerto Rican Roast Pork

⏱ Total Time: 12 hours

Pernil is a traditional Puerto Rican dish served during Christmas consisting of a pork shoulder slow roasted into a delicacy. Marinated with spices, garlic and slow-roasted to a brown and crispy perfection. If you like your pork tender and juicy with a crispy skin on top this is the recipe for you. Pernil, also known as lechón asado, is a dish made of roasted pork that is popular in many Spanish-speaking countries. The pork is marinated in a variety of spices and then slow-roasted until it is tender and juicy. Pernil is often served with rice, beans, and a variety of other side dishes. Pernil has its origins in the Spanish province of Extremadura. The dish was traditionally made with a whole pig that was roasted over an open fire. Today, pernil is still made in this traditional way in some parts of Spain. However, it is more common to see pernil made with pork shoulder or pork loin. Pork shoulder is the most common cut of pork used for pernil. The pork is first marinated in a mixture of garlic, oregano, cumin, and other spices. The marinade helps to tenderize the meat and infuse it with flavor. Once the pork has marinated, it is then slow-roasted in a oven until it is cooked through. Pernil is typically served with white rice, beans, and a variety of other side dishes.

Ingredients (14)

  • Adobo: 1 tbsps
  • Black Pepper: 1 tbsps
  • Chicken stock (or water): Enough for an inch on the bottom of your baking pan
  • Dried Oregano: Optional - but a drizzle will do
  • Fresh Oregano Leaves or Cilantro:
  • Garlic Clove: 10 (comes down to preference)
  • Green Bell Pepper: 1 or 2
  • Ground Cumin: 3 tbsps
  • Ground Tumeric: 2 tbsps
  • Kosher Salt: 2 tbsps
  • Lemon or Orange: 1
  • Olive Oil: 1/2 cup
  • Pork Shoulder (Skin on): 4 lbs
  • White Onion: 1

Utensils (4)

  • A pestle and mortar for mashing your ingredients OR a food processor
  • A nice baking pan large enough to hold the size of your pork shoulder.
  • A food safe brush to apply our marinade to the roast.
  • A chef knife.

Instructions (13)

  1. Cut the fat cap from your meat while leaving it attached.
  2. Combine your oil, onion, garlic (don't use all your cloves!), squeezed juice from your lemon or orange, cumin, salt, pepper, adobo, fresh cilantro or oregano, green bell pepper and either pestle and mortar until it's a paste or use your food processor until blended thoroughly
  3. Cut holes 2 inches deep into your pork shoulder spaced out evenly across the meat
  4. Insert garlic cloves into the holes
  5. Brush or rub the marinade sazon you created with your pestle or processor throughout the meat ensuring it is covered and penetrating the holes on the shoulder
  6. Allow to marinate over night (At least 4 hours)
  7. 30 Minutes prior to cooking remove your pork from the fridge to start returning it to room temperature
  8. With your shoulder in the baking pan, add chicken stock (or water) so it is an inch deep surrounding the meat
  9. Cover the pan with tin foil in preparation of braising the meat
  10. With the oven at 400F Degrees place your pork inside for 3 hours (Approximately 2.5 to 3 hours per 4 pounds of pork) or until tender
  11. Remove the tin foild and return to the oven until the skin is browned and crispy (Approximately 1 hour)
  12. Remove from the oven and let the rest for around 10 minutes
  13. Enjoy!