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Impressive to serve yet easy to make, this slow-roasted, crispy-skinned pork shoulder is a beloved treat in many Latin American homes, especially during the Christmas season. Like a stunning holiday turkey, a roasted pork shoulder will wow your dinner guests. (They’ll think you worked a lot harder than you did because there’s no basting, just pop it in the oven and turn it a few times.)
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Cleo Coyle writes two bestselling mystery series with her husband. To learn more, click here. |
Years ago, my husband and I shared a smaller version of this recipe. This is a bigger and better version, perfect for large gatherings...or more intimate ones (with plenty of tasty leftovers).
Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and Feliz Navidad!
~ Cleo
Pork shoulder slow-roasted this way is amazing sliced right off the bone. The rich, crispy pork skin is truly a delicacy, and the succulent meat is wonderfully versatile.
Makes about 10 servings
Ingredients:
10 garlic cloves, peeled
5 tablespoons kosher salt
6 tablespoons oregano
2 tablespoons Goya brand Adobo seasoning
2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red, white, or cider vinegar (or red or white wine)
3 lemons or limes, juiced (or mix them to make a lemon-lime juice)
1 bone-in pork shoulder with skin (6 to 8 pounds)
Step 4 - Wrap and chill: Draw up the ends of that plastic
wrap, on which you set the pork, and use additional plastic wrap to bind the meat tightly (see my photo below).
Place the pork in the refrigerator and allow it to marinate for at least 6 hours, although overnight
is better! Pork shoulder is a dense meat, so the longer you marinate it, the better
the flavors will penetrate. Again, 6 hour minimum for good results, overnight for the best results.
Step 6 - Turn the Meat: Every hour during the cooking, flip the meat over. In other words, you will start roasting the pork shoulder with the skin side up. After an hour, flip the shoulder so the skin side is down for the second hour, and so on, every hour of cooking. You are turning it this way so the skin will cook evenly on all sides and the juices will be distributed properly. At the end of the cooking time, the meat should be at an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
If the thermometer is under that temperature, then place the meat back in the oven for another 20 to 30 minutes and check again. By the end of the roasting process, the skin will be beautifully browned and delicious. (Yes, we eat the skin!) And may you eat with joy!
Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and Feliz Navidad!
~ Cleo
Slapped on a fresh roll, it makes a delicious sandwich, including traditional Cubans. Or place the pork slices in a warmed flour or corn tortilla with guacamole and sour cream and you've got an outstanding taco...
And now without further ado (or adobo!),
here is our version of the Puerto Rican classic...
For a free downloadable PDF
Cleo Coyle's Holiday Pernil
Slow-Roasted, Crispy-Skinned Pork Shoulder
Makes about 10 servings
Ingredients:
10 garlic cloves, peeled
5 tablespoons kosher salt
6 tablespoons oregano
2 tablespoons Goya brand Adobo seasoning
2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red, white, or cider vinegar (or red or white wine)
3 lemons or limes, juiced (or mix them to make a lemon-lime juice)
1 bone-in pork shoulder with skin (6 to 8 pounds)
Directions:
Step 1 - Create the rub: If you have a food processor, then take the first 9 ingredients on a
quick spin to make a paste. No food processor? Then simply place the first 6 ingredients on a flat dish. Smash the peeled garlic
cloves with the prongs of a fork, crushing the flavor into the dry ingredients.
(A mortar and pestle is the traditional method.) When the mix resembles a fine
mash, drizzle in your olive oil, vinegar (or wine), and lemon or lime juice. Blend the whole thing into
a paste. Set aside.
Step 2 - Score the pork shoulder: After rinsing and drying off
the pork shoulder, make six to eight 2-inch long slices around the white skin with
a sharp knife. You should slice far enough to penetrate the skin and fat and allow
the knife to cut shallowly into the meat under the skin. (See my photos below.)
Step 3 - Apply the rub: Before you begin, place the pork on a long sheet of plastic wrap. Now massage the swoon-worthy fragrant rub ("adobo" in Spanish) all over the surface of the pork, making sure to work the paste into the cuts you made in the skin. Massage the meat well, rubbing the herbs into the flesh on all sides.
Step 3 - Apply the rub: Before you begin, place the pork on a long sheet of plastic wrap. Now massage the swoon-worthy fragrant rub ("adobo" in Spanish) all over the surface of the pork, making sure to work the paste into the cuts you made in the skin. Massage the meat well, rubbing the herbs into the flesh on all sides.
Step 5 - Prep for cooking: Before roasting, the pork shoulder must come to room
temperature, so allow the wrapped meat to sit outside the fridge for 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Unwrap the pork and discard the plastic wrap.
DO NOT RINSE THE MEAT. Place it on a rack over a shallow pan, skin side up. Roast
uncovered for about 45 to 50 minutes
a pound, depending on your oven, so a 6 pound shoulder would need to slow roast
for 4-1/2 to 5 hours, an 8 pound roast 6 to 7 hours, and so on.
Step 6 - Turn the Meat: Every hour during the cooking, flip the meat over. In other words, you will start roasting the pork shoulder with the skin side up. After an hour, flip the shoulder so the skin side is down for the second hour, and so on, every hour of cooking. You are turning it this way so the skin will cook evenly on all sides and the juices will be distributed properly. At the end of the cooking time, the meat should be at an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
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| This is the pernil after the first hour of cooking Flip the pernil once every hour for perfect distribution of juices and browning of skin. |
If the thermometer is under that temperature, then place the meat back in the oven for another 20 to 30 minutes and check again. By the end of the roasting process, the skin will be beautifully browned and delicious. (Yes, we eat the skin!) And may you eat with joy!
May your holidays be delicious!
Our 20th
Coffeehouse Mystery!
Now a National Bestseller!
To Buy:
Bulletproof Baristaincludes a killer menu
of delicious recipes!
"Scads of red herrings, peeks behind the show-biz curtain, and bountiful appended recipes will leave fans smiling contentedly." —Kirkus Reviews
"This twentieth Coffeehouse mystery (after Honey Roasted) brings together the history of the shop, ripped-from-the-headlines plot elements, [and] the drama of on-site filming."—Booklist
New Paperback Edition!
Includes a mini guideto honey varietiesand a wonderful menuof delicious recipes...
Click here or on the image abovefor Cleo Coyle's Free IllustratedRecipe Guide to Honey Roasted
Our 20th
Coffeehouse Mystery!
Now a National Bestseller!
To Buy:
Bulletproof Barista
includes a killer menu
of delicious recipes!
of delicious recipes!
"Scads of red herrings, peeks behind the show-biz curtain, and bountiful appended recipes will leave fans smiling contentedly." —Kirkus Reviews
"This twentieth Coffeehouse mystery (after Honey Roasted) brings together the history of the shop, ripped-from-the-headlines plot elements, [and] the drama of on-site filming."
—Booklist
New
Paperback Edition!
Includes a mini guide
to honey varieties
and a wonderful menu
of delicious recipes...
Click here or on the image above
for Cleo Coyle's Free Illustrated
Recipe Guide to Honey Roasted