Pernil Puerto Rican Roast Pork- Herb and spice marinated pork shoulder slowly roasted in the oven until tender and fall of the bone delicious with an amazing crisp and crackling skin.
What can I say? I couldn’t pass up on a good pork sale; in my neck of the wood they are going for 79 cents a pound. So I got a 10 pound pork and split it in half . Cooking it up Puerto Rican Style. Above is one half- with super crispy skin , roasted on top of a rack, and below is the other half cooked in a cast iron 12 inch pan.
And it’s all about the super pork skin for me- they are Crispy , Crackling and Sensational. All these descriptives and more.
Pernil is a really tasty and super easy way of cooking up pork shoulder or butt with tons of flavor.
The spice blend does all the heavy lifting work for you. Once you rub the spices onto the pork, you don’t even need to sear the pork.
You are still going to be rewarded with a nice crispy skin and juicy tender meat.
Traditionally, Pernil is made with sour orange, however, it’s hard to find sour orange outside of the Islands, especially here, in the U.S. So most people sub lime -juice and orange to equate the sour orange taste. Or most modern recipes just use lime or vinegar.
I purposely leave out the sour taste. It goes way beyond that the garlic, cumin and salt alone is good enough to get this going. To please everyone , I do serve lime on the side .
Don’t forget to crank up the heat towards the end of roasting to achieve ultra crispness .
Since it’s a festive dish plan on adding it to the menu this easter season. Do serve it with this Arroz con gandules here
And wash it down with this coquito here .
You will be glad you did.
Enjoy!
Watch How to Make It
Pernil Puerto Rican Roast Pork- Herb and spice marinated pork shoulder slowly roasted in the oven until tender and fall of the bone delicious with an amazing crisp and crackling skin.
- 5-6 pounds pork shoulder bone-in
- 2 teaspoons salt or more
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 5-7 medium garlic cloves ,whole
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves or 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- 1 teaspoon cumin spice
- ½ teaspoon chili pepper or more adjust to taste
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 packet Sazon Goya ,optional
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 1 medium orange ,optional
- lime for serving
- Olive oil as needed.
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Pulse, 1/4 cup onion, garlic, oregano and parsley together in a food processor, adding oil in a drizzle and scraping down sides as necessary, until mixture is pasty or use a mortar /pilon and pestle grind the spices.
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Mix in cumin, chili, sazon and paprika Set aside.
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Remove pork from packaging and gently rinse pork under cold water.
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Dry with a paper napkin or towel. Salt and Pepper according to preference – about ½- 3/4 teaspoon per pound.
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Then do your best to rub oregano and garlic mixture into the scorings.
Refrigerate the pork shoulder, for about 4 hours or up to 3 days before roasting.
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When ready to roast, remove pork from the fridge and let it rest for about 30 minutes.
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Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Cover a roasting pan with foil, then layer sliced onions , and sliced orange at the bottom on the pan with about ½ cup orange juice and about 1/2 cup stock or water.
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Add any remaining marinade. You might have to add some more as it cooks if you want some reserve to serve with the marinade.
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Place pork skin side up in the pan. remove any seasoning on top of pork skin.
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Roast the pork for about 3 hours or more, uncovered.
Remove from the oven and let oven preheat to 500 degrees.
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Place back in the oven; let it roast for up to 15- 20 minutes until skin is crisp and puffy, rotating pan every 5 minutes, for even crispness.
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Let meat rest for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting it up; meat should be tender. Serve with lime and sauce from marinate
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If you want super crispy skin Just like you see in picture one. Do the following ;place pork on top of roast pan or place on a rack in a pan, instead before roasting
How to Make Pernil
Nelson says
13 May, 2019 at 4:10 pmUm. I’m not sure you know what pernil is. Firstly, there isn’t a traditional way to season a pernil. The most common phrase in Puerto Rico is “everyone makes it different”. Hence comments like, “I only eat my mother’s…”
Don’t get me wrong, this recipe sounds very yummy. I’m actually making a pernil tonight and I’m going to use oranges. Haven’t don’t that before. Mmmmmm
Victor A. Rodriguez says
2 Jan, 2019 at 5:06 pmI’ve been looking for a decent recipe for pernil for over 10 years and I have yet to find one that comes anywhere near as good as my mother’s. This one looks promising and I can’t wait to dig in. I’m curious though, would the pork benefit from brining before marinating?
ImmaculateBites says
3 Jan, 2019 at 8:26 amHi Victor,
It sure does, if you have the time to do it.
Steve Hoge says
6 Dec, 2018 at 2:12 pmInstead of slicing into the skin or disturbing it by detaching from the meat below, I use a marinade injector – like an industrial hypodermic needle – get get my mojo marinade under the skin and into the meat. I inject it through the skin and fat into the meat below and then from all sides. The balance of the mojo goes into the bowl or bag that I’m using to marinate and coats the outside of the roast until it’s time to cook. I use about 2 cups of mojo for a 10 lb roast.
Vinet says
23 Dec, 2018 at 7:46 pmThe reason I detach the skin is so that in can get crisper. I love the syringe for marinating as well.
Publicadjusterdon@gmail.com says
18 Oct, 2018 at 6:08 amMy first wife’s abulita would make this alot Pork used to be cheap and we were not rich. (Rich in family and traditions). She would cut the skin back and generously rub the marinade directly onto the meat. Then return the skin over, make cuts and season salt, pepper, minced garlic paste all over. We used the back of a butter knife to crack the chicharon. Thanks for your post!Brings back memories. Buying pork shoulder today!
ImmaculateBites says
19 Oct, 2018 at 3:26 amAwesome! Thanks for taking time out to share this with us. And so happy to hear it’s going on the menu.
Lorraine says
12 Nov, 2018 at 2:42 pmI cannot tell you what you have done to the people. with your recipes from Africa to the Caribbean and the South. in fact all over We LOVE IT”
THANK YOU!
imma africanbites says
13 Nov, 2018 at 12:02 pmThank you, too, Lorraine! =)
Jennifer says
18 Dec, 2018 at 1:01 pmI have a question how many days you available to marine the pernil
ImmaculateBites says
19 Dec, 2018 at 8:11 pmI have let it marinate for up to 2 days.
Annaliese says
12 Aug, 2018 at 3:38 pmSo I watched the video. I see what I’m doing now.
ImmaculateBites says
13 Aug, 2018 at 6:29 amAwesome! Glad to hear the video helps.
Annaliese says
12 Aug, 2018 at 3:34 pmHey I’m confused. With the orange juice and slices . What reserve am I serving with the marinade?
Danielle Dion says
30 Jun, 2018 at 10:11 amI’m in the process of making this now for my family. Thank u so much,can’t wait to eat.
imma africanbites says
2 Jul, 2018 at 4:04 amHope it turned out great for you, Danielle. Thanks for stopping by.
Christina Aponte says
28 Dec, 2017 at 4:50 pmI’m definitely making this what else goes with ie side dishes. I’m thinking the red beans with some rice? Salad?
ImmaculateBites says
29 Dec, 2017 at 6:45 amRice, salad, beans and fried plantains would make it a complete meal.
Leslie says
24 Nov, 2017 at 11:56 amI have a 9lb, how long in the oven at 275? I want it juicy but cooked on time too lol
ImmaculateBites says
24 Nov, 2017 at 5:26 pmIt should take about 7 -8 hours .
Nobi says
23 Oct, 2017 at 8:42 amThis is just the recipe I’ve been looking for. I’m from New York living in the south. There isn’t a Puerto Rican restaurant here. Now I can have roast pork that’s not barbecued. Thank you
ImmaculateBites says
24 Oct, 2017 at 8:09 amAwesome! Glad I could have been of help . Happy Cooking!!!
Luis Martinez says
24 Dec, 2017 at 11:12 pmSorry, i think you meant there isnt a Puertorican restaurant near you. I have to agree, that for many years, there was almost not immigration from PR and mostly Dominican. So the face of the restaurants changed. BUT, there are very well knkw eateries like Don coquis and even better, Sofritos (specially the one in White Plains).
Today, you will see a return of the premier flavors of the Caribbean. It really was the simple choices of Puertorican dishes. None more flavorful and with all due respect, not over powered with cumin or hype.
This pernil recipe is as good as most I’ved tried. Great job! The recipe will also work at 275 for 7 or 8 hours as well. And, no need to raised the temperature since the skin will crisp anyway after so many hours. TBH, unless you have an accurate electric oven, you may still need to raise the temperature tk get that crackling skin towards the end.
Samantha Sawyer says
17 Sep, 2017 at 3:09 pmAre we supposed to eat the skin?
ImmaculateBites says
18 Sep, 2017 at 8:49 amYes you are !
Laura says
4 Aug, 2017 at 5:42 amLove pernil but after many years as a New Yorker and numerous friends/relatives of Latino decent, all types .. always have I heard low temp for 8-10 hours after marinated for a day or two. Last 15 minutes ..cold water splashed on the fat and back in hot oven to get the chicharrones.
ImmaculateBites says
4 Aug, 2017 at 10:49 amThanks for the tip Laura!
Mitch Urash says
26 Jul, 2017 at 8:50 amI’m sorry, but I am very confused. The pictures look to show two different dishes, one where the roast is scored, one where it is not. Is this two different dishes or two different methods of preparing the same dish? Your instructions describe two different methods, but that also is very confusing. Method 1 seems to end after putting the roast in the pan. Are the different methods just a choice between putting the pork on top of onions and onions or of putting it in a roasting rack? In that case, Method 1 could be numbered step 10a and Method 2 could be numbered step 10b. Then step 2 and after under Method 2 would actually apply to both methods and could be better numbered steps 11-14.
Also, you never actually say when to score the meat. Is it just for one method? If so, which method?
As I re-read this again, it seems to me that the second part of step 8 (after preheating) and maybe all of step 9 are actually a part of Method 1 only. Is that right?
Finally, step 9 is confusing. Are you saying to mix the marinade with the orange juice and stock before cooking, then add more stock as it cooks if we want to be able to serve this as a pan sauce?
Sorry to seem so critical but your dish looks delicious and if I’m going to try it, which I would like to do, I want to be sure to do it right.
ImmaculateBites says
26 Jul, 2017 at 3:19 pmHi Mitch! Not critical all . I have gone back and rewritten the recipe to make it clearer. Do let me know how it works out for you. thanks!
Barbara says
24 May, 2017 at 9:58 pmWant to cook the pork shoulder Puerto Rican style but my my pork shoulder is 10 lb
ImmaculateBites says
25 May, 2017 at 9:40 amDouble the ingredients or split in half .
Valerie Hostos says
10 Mar, 2017 at 12:10 pmI have it in the oven now…smells mouthwatering!!!
ImmaculateBites says
11 Mar, 2017 at 9:01 pmIt’s going to taste even better! Bonne Appetite!!!
Rach's Recipes says
12 Mar, 2016 at 5:55 amI’m going to make this beautiful pork dish for our Sunday lunch. Can’t wait. Looking to use whole peppercorns, plantains, and cilantro cream too – let you know how it turns out.
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says
9 Mar, 2016 at 1:47 pmNow this is how to cook pork.
John Storeys says
8 Mar, 2016 at 1:06 amMm, tasty!
Emma @ Supper in the Suburbs says
8 Mar, 2016 at 12:57 amI’ll be the first to admit I know nothing about Puerto Rican food but there is nothing on that ingredients list that doesn’t get my juices flowing. Might try this out on the in-laws next time they are round for a roast
Laura | Wandercooks says
7 Mar, 2016 at 9:00 pmOh my god that looks incredible!! The crispy, crackly skin looks amazing and super juicy all at the same time. Also can I just say, gorgeous photos!
ImmaculateBites says
12 Mar, 2016 at 6:49 amThanks Laura.
nicole says
7 Mar, 2016 at 8:03 pmI need this in my life….yesterday! Wow! The flavors on the pork are super intense and I can imagine how amazing they are when the pork gets crispy!!! Thanks for sharing 🙂 Pinning for later!
ImmaculateBites says
12 Mar, 2016 at 6:48 amThanks for Pinning Nicole
Jillian @ Food, Folks and Fun says
7 Mar, 2016 at 7:01 pmThat looks like one delicious pot roast! You have my mouth watering!
ImmaculateBites says
12 Mar, 2016 at 6:47 amIt sure is Jillian.
Annemarie @ justalittlebitofbacon says
7 Mar, 2016 at 5:45 pmThis looks so good! I love slow roasted pork and that crackling skin is the best part.
ImmaculateBites says
12 Mar, 2016 at 6:47 amYou and me both. Crackling skin in the best part.
lisa @garlicandzest.com says
7 Mar, 2016 at 5:01 pmWould you please be my next door neighbor? That looks so good!
ImmaculateBites says
12 Mar, 2016 at 6:45 amAnytime Lisa!!