Cuban Roasted Pork Leg Pernil Food

CUBAN-STYLE ROAST PORK

Steps:

• Grind garlic, salt, black pepper, cumin, oregano, and coriander into a paste using a mortar and pestle.
• Transfer half of the garlic and spice paste to a bowl; add lime juice, orange juice, olive oil, and vinegar. Beat the mixture with a whisk until smooth.
• Cut several inch-long, deep slits into the fatty side of the pork roast. Rub the reserved garlic paste into the slits.
• Put rubbed roast into a gallon-size resealable plastic bag. Pour the liquid mixture over the roast, squeeze as much air from the bag as possible and seal; refrigerate, turning occasionally, 8 hours to overnight.
• Remove pork roast from refrigerator, put into a roasting pan, and let warm at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Roast pork in preheated oven for 30 minutes, reduce heat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and continue cooking until pork is no longer pink in the center, about 2 hours more. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 170 degrees F (75 degrees C).

SPANISH ROASTED PORK (PERNIL)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Rub pork shoulder all over with lime.
• Mash garlic into paste in a mortar and pestle or pilon. Transfer to a bowl; mix in salt, 1 tablespoon oil, oregano, black pepper, adobo seasoning, and vinegar.
• Lift skin off the pork to 1-inch from the narrow part of the bone. Make 3/4-inch slits all over the pork with a sharp knife. Stuff seasoned garlic paste into the slits. Pull skin back over to cover the pork.
• Mix remaining 1/2 teaspoon oil and sazon seasoning together in a small bowl. Rub over the skin of the pork.
• Transfer pork to a large roasting pan. Pour in beer. Cover with aluminum foil, sealing well.
• Roast in the preheated oven until slightly pink in the center, about 3 hours.
• Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Uncover pork and continue roasting until skin is golden brown and crispy, about 2 1/2 hours. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes before carving.

ROAST PORK (PERNIL) PUERTO RICAN STYLE

Steps:

• The night before peel garlic and with a Pilón mash it to a past then combine all the ingredients and whisk then set it aside.
• Rinse pork in warm water and stab 1 inch slits in the pork (the more stabs the more taste). Place it in the roasting pan skin side down rub the seasoning to the pork and also insert some in the slits. Cover and refrigerate.
• This takes about 4 to 5 hours to cook depending in size and your oven so you must time yourself on the time you want it done. We normally start this the next morning (8 am the latest) to get it out the way and cook other dishes.
• For the first 2 hours set oven at 275°F and cook covered. After 2 hours turn pork over and set oven at 350°F continue cooking for 2+ more hours uncovered,.
• TIP: Check every ½ to 1 hour and poke with roasting fork. You will feel the difference as the pernil cooks.
• Before serving make sure your juices are clear and the skin is nice and hard.

MARK BITTMAN'S PERNIL (CUBAN ROAST PORK)

Steps:

• Heat oven to 300 degrees. Score meat's skin with a sharp knife, making a cross-hatch pattern. Pulse garlic, onion, oregano, cumin, chili, salt and pepper together in a food processor, adding oil in a drizzle and scraping down sides as necessary, until mixture is pasty. (Alternatively, mash ingredients in a mortar and pestle.) Blend in the vinegar.
• Rub this mixture well into pork, getting it into every nook and cranny. Put pork in a roasting pan and film bottom with water. Roast pork for several hours (a 4-pound shoulder may be done in 3 hours), turning every hour or so and adding more water as necessary, until meat is very tender. Finish roasting with the skin side up until crisp, raising heat at end of cooking if necessary.
• Let meat rest for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting it up; meat should be so tender that cutting it into uniform slices is almost impossible; rather, whack it up into chunks. Serve with lime.