One of my favorite recipes – especially if I’m cooking for a crowd – is roasted pork shoulder called pernil. It’s a classic Puerto Rican dish and it is also popular in Cuba, the Dominican Republic and other Carribean and Latin American countries. Pernil is usually made using pork shoulder. This recipe is based on the one used for pernil asado at Chef Jose Enrique’s namesake restaurant in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves
- ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- ½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- 9 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 3 Tbsp fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped
- 1 ½ Tbsp olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Pepper
- 1 boneless pork shoulder roast with fat cap (about 5 lbs.)
- Lime wedges, for serving
Method:
- In a large, sturdy resealable plastic Ziploc bag, combine the cilantro, orange and lime juices, garlic, oregano, olive oil, 2 tablespoons of kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Add the pork shoulder, seal the bag and turn to coat. Transfer the bag to a large baking dish (in case it leaks) and refrigerate the pork overnight, turning the bag once or twice.
- Remove the pork from the marinade and scrape off the garlic and herbs; discard the marinade. Season the pork all over with salt and pepper and transfer to a large enameled cast-iron casserole. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 400°. Roast the pork fat side up for 1 hour, until lightly browned. Reduce the oven temperature to 300° and roast for 4 hours longer, until the pork is very tender and the fat cap is crispy; transfer to a carving board and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Chop the fat cap into bite-size pieces. Carve, shred or pull apart the pork and garnish with the crispy cap pieces. Serve with lime wedges.
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THIS CONTENT IS FROM UTAH BITES NEWSLETTER.
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Originally trained as an anthropologist, Ted Scheffler is a seasoned food, wine & travel writer based in Utah. He loves cooking, skiing, and spends an inordinate amount of time tending to his ever-growing herd of guitars and amplifiers.
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