Pernil Asado
Inspired by La Placita - San Juan, PR
Puerto Rico has become a favorite travel destination of mine. I have never met a group of people with more hospitality and love than our fellow Americans that live on this Caribbean island. Additionally, the beaches are pristine, the rain-forest is a thing of beauty, and the food are drinks are plentiful. There are several things to highlight but pernil asado (roasted pork shoulder) is quite the centerpiece to build upon.
This recipe is inspired by the Island of Puerto Rico. There are several places you can go for great pernil and/or lechon (whole pig) and while the best places are known to be further into the island - south of San Juan - on the “Pork Highway”, you can still find good options in the city if you know where to look. La Placita is a market square in San Juan lined with fresh produce and restaurants by day and bars and restaurants by night. Follow your nose and you’re sure to end up in the right spot.
INGREDIENTS
PERNIL ASADO (makes 6-8 servings):
5-6 lb pork shoulder, bone-in
12 garlic cloves, pressed or finely minced (should be about 1 entire medium head of garlic)
2 TBS salt
1 TBS oregano
1 TBS black pepper
½ cup fresh orange juice (about 2 oranges)
¼ cup fresh line juice (about 2 limes)
½ cup olive oil
GO FOR IT
MARINATING:
In a bowl, combine garlic, salt, oregano, black pepper, orange juice, lime juice, and olive oil, then set aside
Using a sharp knife, cut back the fat cap on your pork shoulder without cutting it completely off (you want to peel it back like tape so you can marinade the meat and then cover back with the fat cap so the fatty juices can cook with the pork)
Make deep cuts all around your pork shoulder so that your marinade can penetrate deep into the meat
In a large baking dish or dutch oven cover your pork in your reserved marinade and massage it in so that the marinade gets into all the cuts
Cover your pork with a lid or plastic wrap and lit sit in refrigerator overnight (or at least 12 hours)
ROASTING:
Bring pork to room temperature for 1 hour while preheating oven to 325°F
Pork should be in a deep roasting pan or dutch oven, fat side up (sprinkle top of fat cap with a bit of salt to help it crisp up while roasting), then covered and placed in the oven for 3-5 hours (you can baste your pork and check internal temperature every 45 minutes)
As pork nears completion (internal temperature should read about 165°F) you can uncover pork and increase oven temperature to 375°F to allow fat cap to crisp up
When pork reaches internal temperature of 190°F it can be pull from oven and allowed to rest 30 minutes (it will continue to cook to bring final internal temperature up to 200°F to 205°F - the perfect temperature for fall-off-the-bone tenderness)
For traditional purposes, serve meat alongside arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas) - fat cap should be crispy and can also be enjoyed alongside meat as chicharrón
NOTES:
Yes, you’re right. That is quite a bit of garlic. But I promise I spared you from what should probably be almost twice what I’ve listed to reach traditional Puerto Rican fare. This pork is for garlic lovers indeed. If you love chimichurri sauce, you’ll love Puerto Rican pernil asado. I for one think the flavors here combine to create some of the most savory pork shoulder I’ve ever had in my life. It is worth every garlic clove.
Also of note is the amount of references I made to internal temperature. A digital thermometer is one of the best kitchen accessories you can purchase to improve your skills at home. They can be found online pretty cheap and will pay you back 100 times in perfectly cooked meats. Pork shoulder is an easy dish but can be tough if not cooked long enough and dry if cooked too long. Buy a digital thermometer and thank me later.