Daisy Cooks Recipes

DAISY MARTINEZ'S PERNIL (ROASTED PORK SHOULDER)

Steps:

• Prepare wet adobo rub: Place the garlic cloves and salt in a mortar and pestle (the salt keeps the garlic from flying around) and pound them to a paste. Add the peppercorns and oregano, pounding each into the mix before adding the next. Stir in the olive oil and vinegar. This is best used when freshly made.
• Marinate the roast up to 3 days before you plan to cook it: Make several slits about 2 inches apart and 1 1/2 inches long through the skin of the roast and into the meat, going halfway through the roast (unless you hit the bone). Wiggle your finger in the slits to make them easier to fill. (Although the adobo isn't spicy, you may find that a pair of latex gloves comes in handy for this.) Fill each slit with adobo, coaxing as much as you can into each with the help of an espresso spoon or small teaspoon. Turn the roast, and do the same on all sides. If you have adobo left over, rub it all over the outside of the roast. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 1 day, or up to 3 days.
• Preheat the oven to 450° F.
• Set the roast skin side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast for 1 hour. Turn the heat down to 400° F and roast until the skin is deep golden brown and crackly and there is no trace of pink near the bone, at least 2 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast should register 150° F; to be sure, check the roast in a few spots. Let the roast rest for at least 15 minutes before carving.
• To serve, removes the crispy skin. It will pull right off in nice big pieces. Cut them into smaller pieces (kitchen shears work well for this) and pile them up on the center of the serving platter. Carve the meat parallel to the bone all the way down to the bone. (It will get trickier to carve neat slices as you get near the bone; don't let that bother you.)

SOFRITO (DAISY MARTINEZ)

Steps:

• Pulse onion and Italian frying pepper or Cubanelle in the food processor until coarsely chopped.
• With the motor running, add remaining ingredients, one at a time, until mixture is smooth.
• Sofrito keeps 3 days in the refrigerator; freeze for longer storage (can be used without thawing).
• NOTES: Ajices Dulces, also known as cachuchua or ajicitos, are tiny peppers with only a hint of heat. They look similar to scotch bonnets or habaneros, so don't get them confused! If you cannot find them , use a little more cilantro and a pinch of cayenne or crushed red pepper flakes.
• NOTE: Culantro has long tapered leaves with serrated edges. If you cannot find it, just leave it out.