Pernil Asado Recipes

PERNIL

Steps:

• Place the pork shoulder, fat-side up, on a cutting board. With a sharp knife, score the skin and fat in a cross-hatch pattern, making diagonal cuts about 1 1/2 inches apart and cutting down to the meat so the marinade can penetrate. Transfer the pork to a large re-sealable plastic bag set over a baking dish or bowl.
• To a blender, add the garlic, oregano, cilantro, cumin, lime juice, orange juice, chipotle and adobo sauce, 3 tablespoons salt and 1 tablespoon pepper. Drizzle in the olive oil and pulse until you have a nice puree. Pour the marinade all over the pork, being sure to get it into the deep cuts. Zip the bag closed and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Add about a 1/2 inch water to a roasting pan fitted with a roasting rack. Remove the pork from the marinade and place in the center of the rack.
• Cover with foil and roast until the pork is fork tender and deep brown in color, 4 hours. Check on the pork after 3 1/2 hours; if skin is not deep brown, remove the foil for last 30 minutes. Transfer the pork to cutting board and let rest for 20 minutes before slicing into thick pieces. Spoon any remaining pan juices over the meat to serve.

PERNIL ASADO

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F. Using long narrow knife, cut about twelve 2-inch deep slits in pork. Place onion wedge in each slit.
• In medium bowl, mix rub ingredients to form a paste. Using hands, rub entire pork shank with paste, working rub into meat. Place pork on large rack in roasting pan.
• Bake 6 1/2 to 7 hours, basting with pan juices after 2 hours, every 30 minutes, until meat reaches internal temperature of 145°F. Let stand about 20 minutes before cutting into thin slices.

DADDY EDDIE'S ROAST PORK (PERNIL), PUERTO RICAN-STYLE

Steps:

• Combine olive oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt, and black pepper in a mortar and pestle; mash into a paste.
• Make deep slits into the pork with a small knife. Stuff slits with the paste; rub any remaining paste over the pork.
• 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.
• Take pork out of the refrigerator, uncover, and bring to room temperature, 1 to 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Roast pork skin-side down in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 2 hours. 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.

PERNIL ASADO

Steps:

• Mix all the ingredients and reserve this preparation to season the meat.
• Place the pork in a baking dish that can be refrigerated.
• Mix the garlic powder with the salt and season the pork. Add the fresh garlic on top of the meat. Marinate for 3 hours in the refrigerator.
• Using a small, sharp knife, remove the fat from the meat by letting it stand on one edge and keeping it in one piece.
• Start at the wide end and go to the narrow end.
• Leave enough fat on the meat to turn the fat on its side while seasoning the meat.
• The fat will be added back on the seasoned meat and cooked on the meat.
• With a little marinade, season the side of the fat that covers the meat. The other side (the top) should only have salt.
• Make very deep cuts on all over the meat and season with the marinade, ensuring that the seasoning penetrates well into all the cuts.
• Put the fat on the meat so that it looks the same as before cutting and sprinkle with salt.
• Cover the meat with a cling film and refrigerate for 12 hours.
• Remove the meat 1h30 before cooking and let the meat come back to room temperature before cooking.
• Place the meat in a deep oven dish with the fat side up. There will be a lot of fat, so be sure to use a deep dish.
• Preheat the oven for 45 minutes at 400 F / 200 C before baking (while the meat comes back to room temperature).
• Bake at 400 F / 200 C, and covered for 1 hour, then reduce the temperature to 300 F / 150 C, and cook again covered for 3 hours. Do not turn the meat over. Then uncover and cook for an additional hour.
• When the meat is cooked, poke it on the side with a fork to see if it is falls off from the bone. If the top (cuerito) is not crisp enough, continue cooking at 400 F / 200 C for 15 minutes or until crisp.
• Remove the meat from the oven and let it rest for 30 minutes before cutting it.
• To cut it, completely remove the fat (cuerito) and reserve it.
• Slice the meat then cut the fat (cuerito) into pieces and sprinkle on the meat.
• Serve the meat with a piece of cuerito.

PERNIL ASADO (ROAST PORK, CARIBBEAN STYLE)

Steps:

• For the marinade: Mix together all ingredients and set aside to let flavors meld together.
• Procedure for the pernil. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash pork under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. With a sharp paring knife, pierce the flesh. Season with salt and pepper and rub sofrito all over, covering the entire piece of meat. Let marinate for no less than 2 hours but better if overnight. Place pork on an oven rack and place in roasting pan and add enough water to just cover bottom of pan. Put roasting rack in center of the oven and let cook for 20 minutes. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees and let cook until juices run clear. The pork should be firm to the touch. Take the pork out of the oven and let rest for about 10 to 15 minutes. Peel away the skin when cool enough to touch and save, for this is a traditional Caribbean delicacy. Slice meat into bite-size pieces and serve with arroz con gandules.