Authentic Pernil Recipe Puerto Rico, North America

Making the Puerto Rican pernil requires quite a lot of patience and some knife skills. This succulent meat dish is typically made with pork shoulder — precisely, the picnic cut, which combines the upper forearm and the lower shoulder of the pig — although it can also be made with pork shank. The meat, usually weighing between 7 and 10 lbs, is washed and dried thoroughly. Then, the upper layer of skin and fat is carefully removed but left attached at one end, so it can be reattached to the meat after marinating. Deep slits are made throughout the meat, and are stuffed with a marinade. Typically, the marinade — called adobo — is made with garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, olive oil, paprika, vinegar and/or citrus juice. Additionally, the pork can be seasoned with sofrito, a rough paste made of ajices dulces (sweet peppers), culantro (Mexican parsley), cubanelle and bell peppers, tomatoes, onion, and salt. The pork is left to ... Read more