Pernil is roasted pork shoulder, seasoned to the max. It is served with rice and beans, salad, or sweet plantains.
Prep Time::15 mins
Cook Time:: 4 hrs
Additional Time:: 9 hrs
Total Time:: 13 hrs 15 mins
Servings::8
Ingredients
10 cloves garlic, or more to taste
¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper
5 pounds pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat
Directions
Gather all ingredients.
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Combine garlic cloves, olive oil, vinegar, oregano, salt, and black pepper in a mortar and pestle; mash into a paste.
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Cut deep slits into pork with a small knife. Stuff slits with garlic paste; rub any remaining paste over pork.
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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.
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Take pork out of the refrigerator, uncover, and bring to room temperature, 1 to 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
Roast pork skin-side down in the preheated oven until golden-brown, about 2 hours.
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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.
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Recipe Tip
If you don't have a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic paste in a sturdy bowl with the back of a spoon.