Pernil -Roast Pork Shoulder

While my mom was here to help out with the baby, she went ahead and prepared some of my favorite dishes. Since we were going to be by ourselves for a couple of days before my mother in law came to assist, she decided to make a bigger meal to tide us over.

She made pernil  (roast pork shoulder) along with arroz con gandules. I love as a comfort food and it was delicious from start to finished. We managed to get 4-5 meals out of it so it was also a cost effective dish to make as well. If you’re looking to have some at home, here’s the recipe to get you started.

Ingredients:

•  1 8-10 lbs. PERNIL (Pork Shoulder)
• 1 Big head of garlic
• Adobo to your taste
• 2 Teaspoons of ground black pepper
• 1 Tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 Teaspoon of crushed oregano

Preparation:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350º.
2. Sit down and peel all the garlic.
3. Wash the pernil with cold water and sprinkle some adobo to your taste. For a better flavor, season the night before. Make stabs (about 1 inch wide) so you can put the paste like mixture in them.
4. Take out your pilón and dust it off (ha ha). Mash the garlic to a paste and add the oregano and pepper.
5. After the garlic and pepper are well mixed, add the olive oil and stir with a spoon to make a paste like mixture.
6. Place about 1 teaspoon of the paste into each hole of the pernil.
7. Cover the bottom of your baking pan with aluminum foil and place the pernil on top.
8. Cover the pernil well with aluminum foil so it will come out juicy, not dry. Uncover it for the last 15 – 20 minutes on a high setting for some crunchy “chicharrón” skin.
9. Bake for 4 to 5 hours at 350º. (The time depends on your oven. Check it in 3½ hours).