Roast Pork Pernil Puerto Rican Style Food

PERNIL (PUERTO RICAN STYLE ROAST PORK SHOULDER)

Steps:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

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.

PUERTO RICAN STYLE PORK ROAST / PERNIL

Steps:

• Rub and rinse pork roast with a few tablespoons of vinegar.
• Set pork roast in large dish to marinate in.
• With a sharp knife, play Psycho Killer Norman Bates and get to stabbing that roast : )
• Really, though, stab roast throughout - make about 20 cuts.
• Mix spices and herbs together in small mixing bowl.
• Add in olive oil and vinegar. Mix well.
• Rub down pork roast with seasoning "paste". Use all. Rub paste into cuts in meat.
• Marinate, covered, in fridge for about 24 hours.
• Preheat oven to 275
• Place pork in appropriate sized roasting pan, fat side up. Add 1 cup water.
• Cover / tent with foil.
• Cook for 5-7 hours depending on size. After a few hours lift corner of foil to make sure there is enough liquid in dish.
• Roast is done when meat falls apart. I take a fork and pull at a corner - if it pulls off easily it's done. 6 hours works perfect for me every time.
• If you prefer - you can broil roast for a few minutes to get some crunch on fat and roast. Totally optional...BUT...watch carefully.
• Shred meat. Serve with rice. Enjoy : )

PUERTO RICAN STYLE PERNIL (ROAST PORK)

Steps:

• In a bowl mix garlic, salt and oregano.
• With a sharp knife make deep cuts in to the pork only on meat side,and stuff the garlic mixture into the slits.
• The more cuts the better the flavor.
• Sprinkle the other seasoning the Adobo and the Sazon all over the outside.
• Then rub the seasonings in making sure the entire surface is covered.
• Roast the Pork in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 4-6 hours uncovered in a pan with a rack.
• Roast the pork skin side down for the first 2 hours and then turn skin side up for the remaining time.
• Pork should be well done and tender.
• Make sure all juices run clear before removing from oven.

DADDY EDDIE'S ROAST PORK (PERNIL), PUERTO RICAN-STYLE

Steps:

• Combine olive oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt, and black pepper in a mortar and pestle; mash into a paste.
• Make deep slits into the pork with a small knife. Stuff slits with the paste; rub any remaining paste over the pork.
• Place pork in a plastic roasting bag and put in a roasting pan with a rack. Let marinate in the refrigerator, 8 to 48 hours.
• Take pork out of the refrigerator, uncover, and bring to room temperature, 1 to 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Roast pork skin-side down in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 2 hours. Flip pork and continue roasting, skin-side up, until juices run clear and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C), 2 to 4 hours more.

PUERTO RICAN PORK POT ROAST "PERNIL"

Steps:

• Remove any excess fat and skin from meat. Score meat thoroughly. Wash then dry.
• In a mortar, combine sea salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, dried bay leaves, orange zest, and garlic cloves and crush into a paste.
• Rub meat with the mixture then place inside a covered bowl. Refrigerate for 2 hours or ideally, overnight.
• In a large stockpot, brown meat in olive oil over high heat.
• Lower heat; add in all liquids and simmer for 3 hours. Add more liquid as necessary. The pot roast is done when meat starts to shred. Cut meat off the bone, and serve on a large platter.
• Deglaze bottom of pat with a little water and serve as gravy.

PERNIL

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.