The Best Puerto Rican Pernil (Pork Shoulder)

Submitted by Joanne

"I've made a lot of pernils. They were pretty good but this great! What makes it great I find is the the soy sauce in the marinade, and the low and slow roasting. Note: This is not a weeknight meal, I recommend seasoning your Pernil 2 days prior to cooking. And start roasting early in the morining. The pernil will cook for about 10 hours, Your house will smell like heaven all day long!"

 

• Ready In: 10hrs 30mins
• Ingredients: 9
• Serves: 6-8

ingredients

• 6 -7 lbs pork shoulder (bone in pernil)
• 4 limes, juiced
• 15 garlic cloves, mashed in a mortar and pestle (add a tsp. salt to help mash garlic)
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• salt & fresh ground pepper
• 1⁄4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup vinegar
• water

directions

1. Make the marinade:

2. In medium bowl, combine garlic, lime juice, oregano, soy sauce, olive oil and salt and black pepper. Set aside.
3. Wash the pernil in vinegar and water, pat dry with paper towel.
4. Place on a cutting board fat side up.
5. Leaving the fat in a single piece and attached at one end, use a knife to remove the layer of fat from the shoulder, opening it like a book to reveal the meat. Then, use the knife to poke 1-inch deep holes into the meat on all sides (about 20 holes).
6. Place pernil in roasting pan skin side up. Rub the marinade all over the pernil, making sure you work it into to the holes. Return the skin back to its original position. Score the skin with diagonal cuts and sprinkle salt to taste over the skin.
7. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours.

8. On day of Cooking:

9. Remove pernil from refrigerator 45 minutes before roasting.
10. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
11. Add a little water to the roasting pan so that it comes up about 1/2 inch up the sides.
12. Cook pernil uncovered for 1 hour. Turn oven temperature down to 225 degrees F, tent pernil loosely with aluminum foil, and cook for 8 hours. Remove foil and cook for 1 hour.
13. Let pernil rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Reviews

[Glenda C.]

SOY ACTUALLY BELONGS IN A LOT OF MARINADES BELIEVE IT OR NOT. MAKES THEM FROM YUM TO AN OMG!!!

 

[Jonathan Melendez]

This is the ONLY way I'll be making pork shoulder from now on! It was SOOOOOOO good. Worth the effort to marinate and cook for that long. Honestly it doesn't get any better than this. I can't recommend it enough!

 

[Elaine I.]

I never leave reviews, but signed up just to comment! This was by far the best pernil I have ever made. I cooked it a little differently time wise, but the marinade was out of this world.

 

[Donna O.]

Always turns out perfectly, add some rice and beans...mix with it a very happy hubby who claims the skin first...and sucess ALWAYS

 

[Marisol C.]

It turned out really good. I will be using this recipe again. Thank you!