Slow-Roasted Puerto Rican Pernil Recipe

Many different countries have their own recipes for roast pork, but pernil is a popular Puerto Rican version of the dish. As recipe developer Michelle McGlinn tells it, "It's served during the holidays, likely because it takes a long time to cook." What with the overnight marinade and another half a day's worth of cooking, this is something you might want to make on a weekend when you have plenty of time, but McGlinn feels the results will be worth it. "It's so good," she says, and admits that it's also "so easy to start slicing off pieces of just the crust to snack on while you're shredding the meat."

One ingredient called for here is a Puerto Rican condiment called sofrito that's made from peppers, onions, garlic, and cilantro. McGlinn says green sofrito is typically used for pernil, but tells us, "I like the tomato-based sofrito and think the acidity in the tomato tenderizes the pork nicely." She says you can make your own sofrito if you like, but assures us that "store-bought works well, too."

To make pernil, you need a pork shoulder or butt. Feel free to use one smaller or larger than is called for here, with the cooking time being around 45 minutes per pound. You'll also need some seasonings for the pork: garlic, sazón, paprika, onion powder, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, pepper, and the aforementioned sofrito.

If you have a choice of sazón seasoning packets, McGlinn advises using the coriander and annatto flavor. As she explains, this spice mixture "adds a lot of unique flavor that the other seasonings do not and also adds a beautiful bright color, as well."

Cut some slits into the pork and stick a few of the garlic cloves into these slits. Mix up all of the dry seasonings, then rub them all over the pork. Follow the spices with the sofrito, rubbing that all over the meat, too. Put any remaining garlic cloves on top of the pork.

Wrap the pork, garlic cloves and all, in plastic, then put it in the refrigerator. It should stay in there overnight or, if you are preparing it in the morning, for about 8+ hours. As McGlinn insists, "The pork is way more flavorful when the spices have a chance to sit on the meat."

About half an hour before you want to cook the pork, take it out of the refrigerator so it can warm up to room temperature. As the pork sits, preheat the oven to 325 F.

Cook the pork on a wire rack sitting in a pan. Make sure the garlic is still in place and the fat side is pointing up — the reason for doing so, McGlinn explains, is "so any fat drippings drip through the pork, keeping it moist." Roast the pork for 3 to 4 hours or until the internal temperature reads 180 F and the pork is fork-tender. As McGlinn describes it, "The pork should break apart easily, with no resistance, and have a dark, crispy outer crust."

Slice or shred the pork before you eat it. McGlinn notes that the traditional side dish for pernil is arroz con gandules, which is rice with pigeon peas, but says that plain white rice is okay, too. As for any uneaten pork, she says, "Cuban sandwiches would be a really good way to use pernil leftovers."