Pernil (Puerto Rican style Roast Pork Shoulder)

A Puerto Rican dinner of arroz con gandules in a silver pot and shredded pernil on a white platter. A white bowl of chicharron is next to a white and orange striped towel.

Pernil (Puerto Rican style Roast Pork Shoulder)

Course: Entree, Main Course

Cuisine: Puerto Rican/Hispanic

Keyword: pernil, pork, roast

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 6

marinating time: 2

Total Time: 2 6 20

Servings: servings

Calories: 287kcal

Author: Marta Rivera

A succulent, crisp-skinned pork shoulder is the perfect way to celebrate your happiest occasions.

Print Recipe

Equipment

2 Roasting pans (one with an inner rack)

Ingredients

10 pound pork shoulder bone-in, skin-on
1/4 cup white vinegar
16 cloves garlic (or 2 heads) peeled and mashed to a paste
2 tablespoons Sofrito
2 tablespoons Adobo seasoning
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 1/2 tablespoons sazón
1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano leaves
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning prior to roasting
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper

Instructions

Prep the Pork Shoulder

Grab a firm hold on the top layer of the skin and, carefully, run your knife's blade along the line where the fat and skin meet.
Use a very sharp boning knife to cut between the fat and the meat, leaving the back and sides of the skin attached- creating a pocket.
After you create the pocket, pull the skin back a little and pierce slits into the flesh using the tip of your knife, taking care not to puncture the skin in the process.
Flip the roast over and make slits in the bottom of it as well.

"Wash", then Season the Meat

Transfer your pernil to a large bowl (or leave it in the sink if you washed it) and pour the white vinegar outside the piece of meat, inside the pocket and on the skin.
Rub the vinegar into the meat well.
In a bowl, combine the mashed garlic, sofrito, adobo, onion powder, sazón, oregano, salt, and pepper to create a thick paste.
Use a large spoon to scoop a third of the paste into the cavity you created between the skin and flesh. Massage the rub it into the meat: make sure to press the paste into those slits in the meat under the skin.
Flip the pork over and rub the bottom side with another third of the spice paste.
Flip it back over and rub the remaining spice paste onto the the skin.

Wrap and Marinate the Pernil

Lay out a large piece of heavy duty aluminum foil (or enough sheets to completely wrap the pernil). Over the foil, lay out three sheets of plastic wrap.
Put the seasoned pork shoulder in the center of the wrapping film and wrap it tightly in the plastic first, then wrap it tightly in the foil.
Set the wrapped pork on a sheetpan and and let it marinate in the fridge for at least 2 days, but 3 days is best.
You can roast the pernil in as little as 12 hours, but it won't be as flavorful.

Roast the Pernil

When you're ready to roast, unwrap the pernil and put it on a roasting rack inside of a roasting pan. Pat the pernil skin down with a paper towel to dry it and remove the spice paste.
Leave the pork to sit on the countertop for at least 30 minutes to an hour to warm up. A cold pernil takes longer to begin roasting than a semi-warm one does.
Position the middle oven rack down one notch so it is in the lower third of the oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F,
Roast the pernil at 350°F for 5 hours.
When the roasting time is up, remove the roasting pan from the oven.
Increase the oven temperature to 425°F.
Season the outside of the pernil with a light sprinkling of kosher salt (about 1/2 teaspoon). Carefully, transfer the pernil to a clean, disposable roasting pan.
Once the oven reaches temperature, put the pernil back in and finish roasting for up to 1 hour. Turn the pan every 15 minutes to vent the steam that builds up and to crisp up the skin evenly.
The skin will begin to blister, harden, and sizzle. Once the pernil skin sounds hard when tapped with the back of a knife, remove it from the oven. This may happen before the hour is up.
The fully cooked pernil should have an internal temperature of between 180-200°F. The juices of the pernil will run clear with no blood, as well.
Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes in order to allow the internal juices to settle down.
After allowing the pernil to rest a few minutes, remove the chicharrón and shred the meat from the bone.
Serve the pernil while hot.

Notes

Tips and Techniques:

Finishing the pernil in a clean roasting pan eliminates the smokiness produced by the grease in the first pan.

Pernil Roasting Times:

5 pound pernil= 3 hours roasting time
7 pound= 4 hours
8 pound= 5 hours
9 pound= 5 hours 15 minutes
10 pound= 6 hours

Smoking Instructions:

Follow instructions as directed.
Smoke the pernil with your preferred wood at 250°F for 15 hours.
You won't be left with the amazing crunchy chicharrón with this method, so remove the skin or chop it up and mix it in with the pulled pork.

To Store Cooked Pernil:

Any leftovers should be transferred to a food storage container and kept in the fridge for 3 days. To reheat the meat, just flick a little water over it and microwave it until warmed through.

To Freeze Cooked Pernil:

Transfer the shredded pernil to a freezer storage bag and freeze for 6 months. Thaw in the fridge when you're ready to eat and reheat as instructed above.

Nutrition