Pernil is one of Puerto Rico’s most famous dishes, a succulent roasted pork shoulder that is traditionally seasoned in a marinade called adobo mojado, consisting of paprika, salt, vinegar, garlic, and oregano. The name of the dish is derived from the Spanish word pierna, meaning leg, but it is also a Catalan word for ham, referring to the traditional recipe that calls for fresh ham.
American Pernil
Course: MainCuisine: American, DominicianDifficulty: Medium10
servings1
hour4
hours3680
kcal5
hoursPernil is one of Puerto Rico’s most famous dishes, a succulent roasted pork shoulder that is traditionally seasoned in a marinade called adobo mojado, consisting of paprika, salt, vinegar, garlic, and oregano. The name of the dish is derived from the Spanish word pierna, meaning leg, but it is also a Catalan word for ham, referring to the traditional recipe that calls for fresh ham.
Ingredients
Pork Shoulder
1 ½ – 2 heads of Fresh Garlic
1 tbs Dominican Oregano *Regular oregano will also work
3 ½ tbs Salt for a 7lbs Pernil
1 tsp Black Pepper
2 tsp Fresh Thyme
½ tsp Cumin
1 Red Onion
1 Sopita aka Chicken Bouillon Cube
1 Orange
1-2 Limes
¼ cup olive oil
3 cups of water
¼ – ½ cup of white vinegar
Directions
- Poke holes all over the pernil using a cross method to get small to medium holes
- Then place in a large mixing bowl and add 1 cup of water and the vinegar
- Massage the vinegar and water into the pork and let it sit for 5-10 while you mix the marinade
- Combine garlic, oregano, salt, sopita, cumin, onion, black pepper, and thyme in a food processor and blend
- Then add the freshly squeezed orange juice, lime juice, and olive oil. Mix again and set marinade aside
- Drain the pernil—no worries if you don’t every single last drop of vinegar + water
- Season pernil thoroughly using the marinade. Be sure to massage the marinade into the holes we made earlier. It looks weird at first, but your taste buds will thank you later
- Cover pernil with saran wrap and let it marinade for a minimum of 4 hours. Best to marinade for a whole day.
- In a LARGE pot, add pork—skin side up—and add 1-2 cups of water. Be sure to include all of the marinades in the mixing bowl. Boil for 45 mins to an hour.
- Switch Pork—skin side up—to a sturdy pan and roast covered for 3 hours at 350 degrees making sure to baste it every hour. The pernil will become light golden brown and juicy during this time.
- At the 4th hour, take out 50% of the juices and roast uncovered for one more hour
- Optional
- Once the pernil is done, broil for 5 minutes to get super crispy skin
