The Unique Seasoning Blend To Make Slow-Roasted Puerto Rican Pernil Stand Out

Forget turkey, forget ham, if there is one centerpiece that will have everyone at dinner fighting over the last bite, it's Puerto Rican pernil. Made from hunks of rich pork shoulder, pernil is a slow-roasted dish that is made all over Latin America, but it's Puerto Rico that might give the dish the most love. Being a dish that takes a long time to make and yields a lot of food, pernil is traditionally prepared for holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, or other special occasions. And special it is. Marinated and cooked skin-on, the slow roasted pork shoulder forms the crispiest and most delicious pork skin imaginable, which is a perfect contrast to the tender, juicy meat. That would be a showstopper already, but the Puerto Rican version of pernil adds a local favorite secret weapon that imparts an amazingly savory depth of flavor to the whole dish, the seasoning blend sazón.

Like pernil, sazón is used across the Latin American world, but local versions are particularly popular in Puerto Rico. Sold in convenient seasoning packets from major brands like Goya or made at home, there are lots of different recipes for sazón. The classic mixes feature achiote (or annatto), coriander, and cumin, often with other common spices like garlic powder and oregano, and some kind of salt. The mix imparts a bright orange-reddish hue and a versatile complexity to a huge variety of Puerto Rican dishes, from soups to seafood, and it's the cornerstone that makes this version of pernil special.

Sazón is not really spicy, per se, but its mix of flavors adds significant depth to balance out the inherently rich pork flavor of pernil. The most important spice in the blend is the achiote, which is made from annatto seeds. These seeds have a strong, distinct flavor that's earthy, smoky, and even a little sweet. And this spice is what gives sazon its signature color. The other key spice in sazón for Puerto Rican pernil is coriander. The cilantro seeds impart more of a bright citrus taste with floral notes as well. Combined with the annatto you get tangier, sweeter, slightly bitter notes that really complement the pork. And if you opt for store-bought seasoning packets, you'll often find one more ingredient that boosts your pernil: monosodium glutamate (or MSG). MSG is nothing to fear, and it supercharges the savory taste of everything it touches, taking your pernil to yet another level.

In order to get tender for roasting, pork shoulder needs to be marinated overnight, and that's the perfect time to rub on the contents of your sazón seasoning packet. Once your pernil starts to roast, even more magic is going to happen. As the fat renders out and crisps the exterior, it's also going to heat your spice mix, further enhancing its flavor and alchemizing it into a deeply browned crust of pure Puerto Rican flavor. One bite should be enough to convince you that you'll never need another roast pork recipe.