Pernil (Puerto Rican Roast Pork)

HATIAN FOOD BLOG

Story By #RiseCelestialStudios

Slow-roasted pernil is fork-tender, fall-off-the-bone pork shoulder or leg marinated in savory herbs and spices. Underneath its irresistible, crispy, crunchy skin is tender, juicy meat oozing with mouthwatering deliciousness. Such a perfect addition to your holiday spread!

I still remember when I tasted this awesomeness for the first time. My world stopped as I savored its tender goodness. It’s really unique and super addictive. And, of course, I had to learn how to make it.

What’s not to love about this family-friendly, super-affordable dish? It’s effortless to prepare because the oven does most of the work. Aaah! Getting that taste of joy without breaking a sweat is a pretty good deal, right?

What Makes Pernil Irresistible

Sour orange is the key ingredient in the marinade. However, it can be hard to find them outside of the Islands. So I used a regular orange and served it with lemon wedges for a similar effect. A dash of vinegar with orange juice would also do the trick.

This marinated Puerto Rican pork (typically leg or shoulder) is roasted slowly until tender and juicy. Caribbeans, especially in Puerto Rico and Cuba, traditionally serve it at Christmas with arroz con gandules and tostones.

How to Roast Pernil

Pulse ¼ cup onion, garlic, oregano, and parsley in a food processor, drizzling in the oil and scraping down sides as necessary, until the mixture is pasty. A mortar and pestle also works.
Mix in cumin, chili, sazon, and paprika. Set aside. (Photo 1)
Rinse and dry the pork roast with a paper towel. Salt and pepper to taste (½-¾ teaspoon per pound). (Photo 2)
Rub the marinade all over the pork roast, getting it in every nook and cranny. (Photo 3)
Marinate it for about 4 hours (up to 2 days) in the fridge. When ready to roast, take the pork out of the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Layer the sliced onion and orange on the bottom of the roasting pan. Pour ½ cup of orange juice and ½ cup of stock or water over it.
Place the pork roast skin-side-up in the pan. Roast for 3 hours or more in a preheated 275℉ (135℃) oven, uncovered.
Remove it from the oven and increase the oven’s heat to 500℉ (260℃). (Photo 4)
Roast for another 15-20 minutes until the skin is crisp and puffy, rotating the pan every 5 minutes for even crispness.
Let the meat rest for 10-15 minutes before cutting it so the meat’s juice reabsorbs into the roast. Serve with lime and drippings.

Recipe Notes and Tips

Turn up the heat with a dash of cayenne, ground chipotle for smoky goodness, or chili flakes.
The internal temperature should be 180-185℉ (80-85℃) on an instant-read thermometer. But no worries if you don’t have a thermometer, because it’s fork-tender when done.
Turning the oven temperature to 500℉ (260℃) during the last 15-20 minutes will crisp the skin perfectly, the best part of the roast.
You can also make parallel or diamond-shaped slits through the skin of the pork and halfway through the fat. But try not to cut so deeply that the knife reaches the meat, to allow the flavor to seep in deeper without damaging the meat.

Make-Ahead Instructions

If you want to marinate the meat but won’t be serving it immediately, you can roast it first until the pork becomes tender and evenly cooked. Then allow it to cool before storing it in the fridge.

When you are ready to serve, roast it again in a preheated 500℉ (260℃) oven. To ensure even cooking, you can rotate it four times for 20 minutes (every 5 minutes) until the skin becomes crisp.

Leftover Makeovers

Store leftover pork within two hours of cooking, and it should last in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Pernil leftovers are fantastic in soups, fried rice, sandwiches, tacos, replace the chicken in a Southwest chicken salad, burritos, and chow mein.

What to Serve With Pernil

Aside from arroz con gandules, this sumptuous pernil also pairs well with yellow rice, roasted vegetables, pasteles, and pickled onions.

More Delectable Caribbean Dishes to Try

By Imma

Watch How to Make It

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”FMCqxTqW” upload-date=”Mon Aug 06 2018 20:37:44 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)” name=”Pernil Puerto Rican Roast Pork” description=”Pernil Puerto Rican Roast Pork- Herb and spice marinated pork shoulder slowly roasted in the oven until tender and fall of the bone delicious with an amazing crisp and crackling skin.”]

This blog post was originally published in March 2016 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.

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Prep: 20 minutes

Cook: 3 hours

Marinating Time: 4 hours

Total: 7 hours 20 minutes

Caribbean, Puerto Rican

Pulse ¼ cup of onion, garlic, oregano, and parsley in a food processor, adding oil in a drizzle and scraping down sides as necessary until the mixture is pasty, or use a mortar and pestle to grind the spices.
Place the mixture in a small bowl, stir in the cumin, chili pepper, smoked paprika, and Sazon Goya, and set aside.
Remove the pork roast from the packaging and gently rinse it under cold water. Dry with a paper towel, and rub with salt and pepper according to preference (½-¾ teaspoon per pound is a reasonable estimate). Score the fat covering if desired.
Thoroughly rub the roast with the seasoning mixture, getting into as many of the crevices as you can. Marinate the roast in the fridge for 4 hours or up to 2 days before roasting.
When ready to roast, preheat the oven to 275℉ (135℃) while the roast comes to room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Line a roasting pan with foil, then layer the sliced onion and orange on the bottom of the pan. Pour in about ½ cup of orange juice, ½ cup of stock or water, and the spoon any leftover marinade. You might have to add some more liquid as it cooks if you want more sauce to serve on the side.
Place pork skin side up in the pan. Remove any seasonings stuck to the top of the pork skin.
Roast it for about 3 hours, uncovered.
Increase the oven temperature to 500℉ (260℃) and roast for another 15-20 minutes until the skin is crisp and puffy, rotating the pan every 5 minutes for even crispness.
The internal temperature should be 180-185℉ (80-85℃) on an instant-read thermometer.
Let the meat rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing; the meat should be tender. Serve with lime wedges and sauce from the marinade.
If you want super crispy skin, place the pork roast on top of a rack in a pan.

If you can’t find Sazon Goya, mix ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, and ½ teaspoon ground coriander and call it good.
Feel free to replace the orange juice and stock with a cup of Mojo marinade.
The internal temperature should be at least 180-185℉ (80-85℃) on an instant-read thermometer when done.
Turning the oven temperature to 400℉ (205℃) during the last 15-20 minutes will crisp the skin.
Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.