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Puerto Rican Pernil Recipe
My pernil journey began as I was wrestling a huge shoulder of pork out of its packaging, about to start some rendition of slow roasted pork. Guillermo, a super nice guy who helps me out with kitchen prep when I need some powerhouse chopping, asked me if I was making pernil. I said, I wish, I’ve never made that, and asked him if he would give me some tips.
Guillermo has been eating pernil for his whole life, growing up with Puerto Rican parents, and he called his dad for the family recipe right away. This is just the type of thing that gets my blood pumping, so I grabbed a pen and started scribbling down the things Guillermo’s father was dictating.
What is Pernil?
Pernil is a slow cooked pork roast, usually a shoulder, butt or leg, that is very typically enjoyed during the holidays. It is a classic Puerto Rican dish, and also a classic dish in the Dominican Republic, though unsurprisingly there are small differences that mean a lot. There are Cuban versions, too. Typical seasonings include salt pepper, sofrito, Adobo, oregano, and sometimes a Sazon packet.
I made one following Guillermo’s dad’s advice, and it was dee-licious. But the next time I combined both fresh and dried oregano, and (thanks to a tip from another PR friend, Fredo) hit the whole thing up with some citrus at the end. Fredo squeezes lemon juices over the meat before it cooks, and I’ve seen other versions with orange juice in the marinade. I decided to sprinkle both lemon and orange over at the end for a fresh little pop of sweet acidity.
The latest version got a “hey, pretty good” from Fredo, which this Jewish girl from Manhattan will take. He said that the sprinkle of oj and lemon at the end reminded him of the mojito sauce often served with pernil. I acted like that what I intended all along (no I didn’t; I said “OH” in a loud surprised voice).
A succulent slow cooked piece of pork is beautifully seasoned and becomes fall-apart tender in this traditional Puerto Rican dish.
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How Long to Cook Pernil?
This pernil recipe calls for about 6 hours at 300°F, a bit longer and lower than Guillermo’s dad does it. Fredo cooks his pernil for even longer, 10 or so hours at 200°F., and then gives it a 45 minute hit at 350°F for a more intense final crust. As with all slow roasted dishes, you can play around with the temp and time, as long as the temperature never gets too high….350°F is the absolute highest I would roast a tough cut of meat to get it to be tender, and I prefer longer at lower temperatures.
Cuero
As the pernil cooks the outside skin and fat layer gets crunchy and forms a crust, called the Cuero. It’s completely delicious, and you should make sure to chop up the crackling crust and let everyone have a bit with their portion. It’s some people’s favorite part of the pernil!
Christmas Pernil
In many Puerto Rican homes it’s not Christmas without pernil, and all of the traditional sides. If you’re going all in for this holiday meal, you have to whip up a batch of Coquito to go with it, the classic Puerto Rican coconut-based eggnog that is also a mainstay of Christmas celebrations.
What to Serve with Pernil
Guillermo’s family usually serves their pernil with rice and pigeon peas (Arroz con Gandules) and tostones, (smashed and fried plantains), which is a common way to enjoy pernil in Puerto Rico. I totally bastardized the plate with roasted broccoli with parmesan and mashed potatoes. There was no one complaining (and no one who knew that the more traditional accompaniments were missing. I will get to them next time.).
Some folks add a packet of Sazon seasoning to the marinade—if you do that, hold back a bit on the salt. Between the Adobo and the Sazon there’s a lot of saltiness going on.
Other Pork Recipes:
I’m going to keep playing around with this delicious pork shoulder dish for a long while to come. It’s high on the big hunk of pork list, along with pulled pork and carnitas (recipe for that in Dinner Solved). At some point I’ll dig into the Dominican Republic version, made with different spices.
- One Skillet Creamy Mustard Pork Chops
- Mom-and-Pop Pulled Pork
- Prosciutto and Pork Banh Mi
- Pork Schnitzel with Quick Pickley Cucumber Salad
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Pernil
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (7-pound) bone in or boneless pork shoulder
- ¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
- 12 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup fresh oregano leaves
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons Adobo seasoning the powdered canned kind
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning at the end
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more for seasoning at the end
- Juice of 2 lemons and 1 orange
Instructions
- Score the fat on the pork shoulder in a criss-cross hatch fashion. Then, cut deeply once in each direction across the pork, like you are going to cut it into four quarters, but then leave them attached at the bottom. Use a sharp knife to make about 20 slits, about 1 inch deep, all over the meat. Place the meat in a 13 x 9 baking pan, or another shallow baking pan large enough to comfortably hold the meat with some space around it.
- Combine the oil, garlic, fresh and dried oregano, Adobo, paprika, salt and pepper. Rub the mixture all over the meat, working it all over the surface and into the slits. Cover the pork with foil and refrigerate overnight.
- Bring the pork to room temperature, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300F°. Bake the pork, covered for 3 hours, then remove the foil and bake for another 3 to 4 hours at the same temperature, until the pork is fall-apart tender. The internal temperature should be at least 165°, but it may be higher, which is fine – it’s most important that the meat is super tender. If you would like a crustier exterior, turn the heat to 375°F and bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the outside of the pork has a nice browned crust.
- Let the pernil sit for at least 20 minutes, then use your fingers (if it’s not too hot; some people like to wear kitchen gloves to protect their fingers from the heat), or two forks to pull the meat into chunks. Sprinkle the meat with the lemon and orange juice, season with additional salt and pepper, and serve hot or warm.
Notes
What is Pernil?
Pernil is a slow cooked pork roast, usually a shoulder, butt or leg, that is very typically enjoyed during the holidays. It is a classic Puerto Rican dish, and also a classic dish in the Dominican Republic, though unsurprisingly there are small differences that mean a lot. There are Cuban versions, too.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I can only seem to find a 3-4 pound cut. How does this change the cooking time.
start checking for tenderness and doneness 1 1/2 hours before the suggested time for the larger roast!
If doing 3x the recipe is the cooking time tripled or is it same time given in recipe above?
No, if the meat is three times as large as the recipe indicates, you’ll want to add anywhere from 1 to 4 hours of additional cooking time, though, depending on whether the piece is one big piece, or multiple smaller pieces of pork. But nowhere near three times the cooking time!
How do you find a pork shoulder roast with the skin on? Every butcher I’ve called here said no, skinless only.
they are hard to find! If you have a specialty butcher that’s the best bet – I have a Brazilian butcher nearby that sometimes can order something more specialized. See if your butcher will order it for you!
I went to two Albertsons (including a huge Albertsons Marketplace that has an amazing selection of meats) and Walmart before finding this cut at Winco. Often, you can talk to the butcher and they might be able to get hard to find cuts from the back. I found out that the Albertsons Marketplace near me will order any cut for me if they don’t have it in stock.
great detective work! thank you for the info!
Have you tried this in a slow cooker?
I have not, and you won’t get the same crust, but let me know if you try it and how it turns out! It will definitely be delicious, but perhaps not have the variety of textures you would get in the oven.
Can this be cooked in a Smoker/Grill?
I’m sure it can, but I’m afraid I’ve never tried it so I can’t offer advice!
I have done a lot of pork roasts for a variety of dishes, though tonight will be my first bone-in shoulder (more specifically the picnic roast part of the shoulder). I’ve used both the slow cooker and oven. Slow cooker pork is great for chile verde and Hawaiian-style teriyaki pork dishes, but you can’t beat the crusty edges of the pork from doing roasting it in the oven. Alternatively, you can use the slow cooker, pull it, then crisp it up in a pan with some oil when it’s time to serve.
I’m looking forward to Katie’s pernil above, but I’ll be substituting a parsley based chimichuri sauce I just made rather than the more authentic cilantro-based sofrito, just because it’s really good and I don’t want to waste it. However, I do have home-mixed sazon seasoning that I’ll add to bring the roast closer to Puerto Rican flavors.
Oh my gosh. Best recipe ever! Thank you.
I did mine in a glass baking dish that I wasn’t shallow. There is so much juice coming out when i made this a year ago, I was afraid it would overflow. Will that change the cooking time or anything?
it shouldn’t! depends on the piece of pork, how fatty/juicy it is….
Could you substitute lemon with lime?
sure!
I made this for the first time and have been designated to make it for every gathering. So far I’ve done it 5 times, and there’s never any left overs. I did tweak a bit, I subbed the fresh oregano for cilantro, and the lemon for lime. I accidentally put the citrus into the marinade instead of using it after but it turned into a delicious accident.
Amazingly flavorful recipe! The pork is so ridiculously juicy and tender. Thank you!
I don’t have any fresh oregano :( may I exclude it?
You can use half as much dried!
Great recipe, I’m Puerto Rican and make pernil quite often two suggestions I’d make, instead of the orange juice and lemon I use something you can find in any Latin market it’s bitter orange juice I also would avoid the Saxon seasoning because if you look at the ingredients it’s salt and garlic powder I just add my own salt and fresh garlic. Fresh garlic makes a world of difference.
This is my second year in the row making this. It’s super simple and delicious.
What could I substitute if I do not have any paprika?
you can skip it!
10 lb. Pernil at 300°. I’m planning on cooking it for 10 hours. Do I cook half the time covered and the other half not covered?
yes!
Fat side up?
yes!
I’m so glad you asked this question. This helps knowing!!!
The recipe is correct in this video. However, the cooking is vsgue. First, do the rub as stated above¡. Once it’s done cooking. You should remove the lid or foil, turn the oven from bake to broil, and cook the skin. At this point the emat is already done, so it’s just crisping the skin. This could take up to 1.5h. Tap the skin with a fork and if it’s hard, it’s done. If any part of the skin is still soft, you can keep crisping it using the broil function. As a wow factor, you can use a blow torch feo creme brulee to do the entire skin evenly to a nice crisp.
Made it yesterday and family loved it! The flavor was terrific. Thanks!
Thank you so much. My husband is Puerto Rican and he loves this recipe I changed a couple of things for our liking. I like to cook and I’m for Alabama so southern cooking is in my blood. This recipe is a lot like some bbq we cooked when I was younger. Thanks again for sharing this Great recipe.
Veronica
I made your Pernille recipe and it was fabulous thank you so much
This recipe turned out perfect. A definite repeat.
Fresh garlic, dry oregano, black pepper powder, salt, Olive oil and tap of vinegar. Make a paste of the mentioned ingredients slit pernil with at least one inch cut into meat and skin all over. Rub marinate all over pernil to include slit. Cover and refrigerate over night. Next morning takeout of frig and let stand for an hour at room temperature. Set oven anywhere between 325 to 350 degrees and bake pernil in accordance to its weight for at least 4 to five hours. Serve with arroz con gandules, green bananas,, fry tostones or a well done potatoes salad and that’s it. Above marinate paste ingredients are IAW to what you use too!
Thank you! How much of each seasoning would you use for say a 5 lb shoulder ?
you could really just keep the amounts the same! the cooking time might be a little shorter, but probably only about 30 minutes.
Best Pernil ever!
Hi, Could it be done in an instant pot do you think, with an hr in oven at the end, i hate putting the oven on for 6-10 hrs! thanks
I think yes, but I have never done it, so I really can’t give yoju any pointers! I like the idea of finishing it in the oven, though!
Did you try it in the instant pot? I am thinking of doing the same thing since the weather today is 90 degrees. Any advice would be appreciated.
Good stuff,
Recipe is nearly perfect. Only thing I do differently is I add 2 packs of sazon con anchiote. Just in case some don’t know about pork shoulder. It may be safe to eat at 165 but the collagen wouldn’t be broken down and the meat will be tough. Needs to get to at least 190 deg internally. That’s how you get that fall off the bone meat.
Enjoy everyone
I made mine in the crockpot it was the best ever. Never had pork shoulder so juicy ! .. this week I will be using this recipe though ! (:
Hi Kay, did you add anything to the crockpot? I want to try this in the crockpot, but never done it in a crockpot.
Yay! I was coming to see if anyone used the crock pot!
Use your BBQ outside burners on medium inner burners on low. Cook at 325-350. Your house won’t stink like garlic either. You know when it’s done the skin cracks and shatters when hit with a knife.
I’ll be making this for my father in law who has been talking about Pernil for a while- and I’ll be using your recipe. I do a lot of Smokin’ in my smoker and do a lot of Boston Butts (250* until an IT of 203*)- do you think this would come out as good if smoked, or just keep with roasting in the oven? I would do it at 250-300 to give the fat time to render. I will be doing the oven my first time. Thank you.
Smoked pernil does not have the same taste as a traditional pernil roasted in the oven. My stepdad smoked it once and the smokiness combined with the seasoning just didn’t go well. Maybe it’s bc I was so used to eating it a certain way, but definitely was not a fan. Stick to the traditional way if you want to really impress your father in law.
SOOOO delish and surprisingly easy. A hit with all of our very large family. Thank you!!
This is basically the same as the recipe I use except I marinate it in a bag with olive oil l, 1 cup orange juice, 1/2 cup of lime juice, 6 crushed garlic clove, handful of cilantro and salt and pepper for a few days. I use a large cast iron pot and rub sazon and adobo before placing in oven. Easy and delicious, eat with soft corn tortillas, rice or shred it to make pulled pork.
5 de Mayo, REALLY???? Is this a Puerto Rican recipe? This could be eaten in any holiday in Puerto Rico. At least I do. Mexico have very delicious meals and recipes that any one can enjoy but they are not Puerto Rican recipes, so are the holidays.
Holy moly!! What a great dish. I substituted the oregano with cilantro. My family went nuts. Can’t wait to try your other recipes. Thanks
I’m going to try this recipe this weekend. Can’t wait. How long do I cook a 10 1/2 pound one?
you’ll probably need to add 2 to 3 hours!
Perfect!
This was It. I had a P.rican from Puerto Rico made it like this. And that was the first time I had pernil over 25 years ago..when I saw the ingredients and made it…boop it took me back. Thank you
This looks fantastic! Planning to make on Friday for my boyfriend’s surprise party on Saturday. Wondering if you have any recommendations for re-heating? Is this okay to make ahead of time? Thank you!
You can reheat it in a low oven (about 275°F) tented with foil for about 30 minutes until warm throughout. Bring it to room temp before reheating in the oven!
This dish is so easy to prepare and roast. It’s perfectly seasoned and has so much flavor. If you like garlic you can also add pieces of garlic into the meat by making small cuts into the meat and pushing the piece of garlic inside something my family recipe called for.) This dish will leave your kitchen smelling wonderful as an added bonus! I can’t say enough. Delicious and EASY!! Anyone can make this!
I’m Puerto Rican so yes, the slits with the garlic in them is divine, LOL, I also slice the pernil like my mother and grandmothers. And arroz con gandules is my favorite rice dish so it’s a must for my pernil. I make this at least once a month with tostones or maduros and avocado salad.
I prefer it marinated in lime and orange juice for but the same ingredients listed for multiple days. My grandfather used to make it over a wood fire, but a cast iron pot at 200, then under the broiler is my 2nd favorite way. Does anyone have a good recipe for arrozo con gandules? I haven’t been able to recreate my grandmother’s and miss eating that with it.
Hi, I’m Venezuelan and it’s also our tradition to eat pernil at Christmas. This will be my first attempt at making pernil, I did want to ask you if this can also be made in a crockpot or if it would come out entirely different?
you won’t get the great crust if you use it in a crockpot!
This recipe sounds great & my mouth is watering just thinking about the finished roast, but I don’t need to feed 16 people and when I adjust the serving size nothing changes, any advice?
if you use a smaller piece of pork, start checking the cooking time about an hour before the recommended end time for the larger roast. if your roast is much smaller you can cut the garlic mixture in half, but if it’s just a pound or two smaller,go for the whole amount!
I’m making this for the 1st time for my step dad who is Puerto Rican. I want to make it the day before Christmas and reheat it because I need my oven for so much on Christmas day. Any tips???
I would reheat it covered at 275 or 300°F for about 20 minutes, then uncovered for another 20 or so minutes, until warm throughout.
I am a noncook. Decided to try and make this for thanksgiving. I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out amazingly delicious. Thank you for posting this.
I made this about a month ago, and it turned out amazing. I used the bone in meat the first time. I’m using boneless this time. I also had quite a few people offer to pay me to cook this for them. I love Pernil, I have had it many times but never thought about making it myself. Thank you for posting this recipe. It is pretty amazing.
I love this!
This is my first attempt at this delicious recipe. Do i put the meat fat side down? It says score the fat so i am thinking have the fat side up.
Thanks
fat side up, yup!
Do I add water to the pan
no water!
which is better? Bone in or Boneless? Last time we made it the dish was incredible however we dont remember if it was bone in or boneless :)
either one will work great!
Looks lovely! I suppose there is no way to cook this part way in an Instant Pot…. then brown the edges?
hey, you could try it! kind of a reverse sear….but the pernil magic does come from low and slow in the oven, which gets you to the best texture.
Once you score the fat in a cross cross fashion, do you almost quarter it on the same side? Or do you flip it to the non fat side and almost quarter it that way?
same side!
This recipe looks Delicious and just like
what I was looking for!
I would like to send it to my family and friends who cook but could I not find a way to send in an e-mail.
I saw other ways, but not e-mail. Is there a way you can help me with this?
the best way is just to copy the url and send that in an email – hopefully we will have a way to do that in the future!!
sounds great I bet the leftover meat would be great for tacos also just add the fixings.
Machellefields how long will you cook in a crockpot and what size 2 to 3 Pounds Because I love pork …..
I would say 6 hours on low in a crockpopt should get you to tender pork for a roast that size!
Do I cook for the same length of time if it very small? 1-3 LBs?
start testing for doneness about halfway into the cooking time!
I’m looking to make this for Easter tomorrow as different pork item than ham. I see recipes where the citrus is added to the sofrito and marinated with meat. Do you know the difference in how the meat would turn out compared to your method of adding it at the end? I’ve never made this before and I’m just curious about the difference. Thanks so much!
I don’t but sometimes if citrus juice is in a marinade it can start “cooking” the meat and change the texture if it marinates too long.
Made this tonight for dinner with a side salad and sweet potatoes on the side as well. This is absolutely devine!
The lemon and orange juices at the end were different than I ever have done before, but seriously put this over the top delicious!!! Thank you so much for sharing! This will be our go-to anytime we do a pork roast again! Soooo scrumptious!!!
5☆☆☆☆☆ already due to ingredient balance and joyful anticipation!
I marinated overnight a 8.67Lb bone in fresh pork shoulder. I used a whole head of garlic plus 5 whole black garlic . Added to blender with a cubed lg Spanish onion, 2tbs spoons dried oregano, fresh thyme and chives, 2-3 tbsp fine pink salt, black pepper, the juice of 1 lemon and 3 oranges, 1/4c olive. oil, 1 slightly rounded tsp of Chipotle chili powder and 1 rounded tsp of smoked paprika.
Just put it in the oven, foil covered, 300F. Set for 3 hrs. Uncovered, later, instead of another 3, as this is nearly 9 lbs will it be more like 8 hours total? It just went in a 9:30 now. So eeeexxxxCITED!.
PLEASE, PLEASE reply if able. Thank you so much.
sorry for the slow reply! I hope it came out great – I would have said covered for 4 hours, and then uncovered until it falls apart, about 4 more hours….but it’s not an exact science, and there are more than one way to go about getting a perfectly tender fall-apart pernil.
I am confused on the part where you say to “cut deeply once in each direction across the pork, like you are going to cut it into four quarters, but then leave them attached at the bottom” I have a bone in roast so I can’t see how that would be possible. Is the point to speed up cooking time? I made a recipe like this before that was devine but I lost it. I remember scoring it but almost cutting into quarters? Do I increase the cooking time if I just score it?
the point is to speed up cooking time a bit, but more to create more surface area for the meat to brown/caramelize. If you want to cut the meat into as even a 4 chunks as possible, but leave them attached to the bone-part at the bottom, that would be fine!
Excellent recipe. It’s the 3rd time I’ve made it and it’s absolutely delicious!
Katie mentioned Fredo cooks his Pernil for ten hours at 200 degrees. That’s what I’ve done and the Pernil comes out of the oven, JUICY and fall-apart tender.
This has become my go-to pork recipe. It’s absolutely no-fail and everyone will love it!
10 hours covered or no?
check out step 3 – it’s cooked about half the time covered, and the rest uncovered….
Hi!
I wanted to let you know I tried making this and my in-laws loved it. It’s my first time making pernil and I think your instructions are super easy to understand. Thank you! :)
I just posted this to Facebook and wanted to share it with Katie and Friends:
You guys have to try this! I was at the grocery store and I wanted to buy a picnic ham to cook for my husband. I saw a lady looking at them and asked her opinion. She said, “oh you have to make pernil it’s a Puerto Rican ham!” So she told me to get Goya adobo, Sazon` recaito, and sofrito and that if I googled it I would find the recipe. Well I looked at a thousand recipes and could not find those exact ingredients. So here’s what I did with the ingredients I had. First off let me say don’t forget to defrost your ham LOL. I minced the garlic put it in a bowl add it all the ingredients I mentioned along with the olive oil, it kind of helps it stick together and be pasty. So I had this big ham and I had to spend half of the morning defrosting it enough to make deep holes to put the rub into, (all of the ingredients mentioned above) then by having it defrosted you can marinate it overnight which I did not get to do. Saying that with all the mistakes I made this was the most, let me repeat, the MOST delicious ham! Okay let me say pork not ham because it tastes nothing like ham this particular cut of picnic ham is more for making poor boys and sandwiches etc. My husband absolutely loved it! I made that and a Puerto Rican potato salad that I learned to make years ago it actually has green olives in it. My husband hates green olives but he loved this potato salad. You don’t really taste the green olives but it gives it this flavor that is so unique and so good! You make regular potato salad add green olives and Goya adabo and then some of your own seasonings that you prefer. So I put this in the microwave and I cooked it on high for 4 hours then I turned it down too low and let it finish cooking until 5:00. Tender, tender, tender! I use the drippings to make homemade gravy of course with homemade mashed potatoes. I topped this dinner off with sweet potato recipe casserole. This dinner can be made at any time doesn’t have to be a holiday I’ll definitely be making it again on our anniversary come June. Thank you for putting up with my rambling but I hope some of you at least make this recipe and enjoy it as much as me and my husband did.
Robin, where can we find yiur Puerto Rican potato salad recipe?
That makes no sense you microwaved it on high for 4 hours? The meat would have been like shoe leather.Then you cook till 5? When did you start?
I’ve made this recipe before and loved it!!!! First time was boneless & 7lb….. this time I could only get my hands on an almost 9lb Bone-in roast…. how long should I cook it?
add about another hour!
I love that people love to cook Comida Criolla My name is Chef Ricardo Ortiz-Peréz. Semi retired I worked in the Hotel and Resraurant Industry here in the States and back home. I do about 5 Caterings a yr I do all pernil asado and Arroz con gandules also guineitos en Escabeche and other Puerto Rican dishes. This recipe is a good one but not a original recipe. Yes there different versions but the original is the best. Oh by the way tell Guillermo he is also Puerto Rican because his parents are. But if you want some real recipes for dishes to share with the people that follow you let me know especially when it comes to recipes from the caribean Domican, Cuban etc. Let me know I just want people to know our original and traditonal recipes its important also that people understand our history and our traditional cultures. Because we have some of the longest Christmas Seasons ever. Thanks
Hello Ricardo,
I’d appreciate knowing original recipe please! I am using Katie’s for my “half” Puerto Rican kid’s Xmas tomorrow so already marinating over night but would love to know as close to cultural accuracy as possible. Thanks!
Nikki
do you leave the skin on? If so, how deep should the scoring go?
if the skin is very thick you’ll want to cut it off, but leave the fat. score until you hit the meat!
Has anyone tried this on a smoker rather than in the oven? Would the smoke flavor overwhelm the spices or make it too seasoned? I would use a pellet smoker.
Thanks.
Katie, do you have any ideas about cooking this in a smoker?
I don’t! But I’ll be curious to hear how it goes if you try it!
Hi, I just put mine in the oven at 300* – any ideas how long for a 10# bone-in roast? I just got a FULL Picnic since all the Half Picnic were a bit too small. I’ve made these quite a few times but when I do the larger ones they always seem dry so decided to try and find a recipe to follow for Cooking Time but yours is only 7 #s
plan to add an extra hour or two! check the internal temp, and it should be very tender, otherwise add a bit more time.
plan to add an extra couple of hours! check the internal temp, and it should be very tender,falling apart, otherwise add a bit more time.
Amazing
Fantastic! My Abuelita took her recipe to the grave… but this one is really “Latin house” worthy!!!
wow that is a HUGE compliment! so glad!
Made this today and my family was licking their fingers. I had tried other recepies but none even close to this one. Thank you
I have a 9.5 lb roast How long should I let it cook?
I would give it one more hour during the covered cooking period, and probably another 30 minutes uncovered, but just monitor the internal temperature and make sure it’s fall apart tender before taking it from the oven! You may not need the raised heat at the end because of the extra cooking time.
Looks great – could you suggest cooking time for a 3.5 lb roast?
Bake the pork, covered for 3 hours, then remove the foil and bake for about another 2 hours at the same temperature, until the pork is fall-apart tender. The internal temperature should be at least 165°, but it may be higher, which is fine – it’s most important that the meat is super tender. You can give it a blast at the higher temp at the end if you want a crustier crust, but it should be pretty browned by the time it becomes tender.
Came out great even though I did not have fresh oregano.
OMG, I’m drooling just thinking about making this. Question…I have a 3lb pork butt bone-in. Should I adjust the cooking time? Thanks
yes! start checking it about 90 minutes ahead of the suggested time and let it go until it is super tender.
I made this last night and it was SCRUMPTIOUS! Served with rice and a corn-avocado salad (corn, diced – avocado, cucumber, red pepper, red onion, parsley – dressed with the fresh juice squeezed from half a lemon)… The bone-in pork shoulder was a bit less than 6 lbs. At the 3 hour mark, I removed the foil, ladled off much of the rendered fat and added about a cup of white wine to the pan juices. I checked the temp at the 5 hr 15 minute mark (aka 2 1/4 hour after removing the foil). It was perfect. Again, I ladled off the rendered fat, stirred the drippings and let the pork rest. At dinner, my usual talkative family was unusually quiet…. smacking their lips. Thank you, Katie
Can you use pork tenderloin instead of shoulder? How would that change cooking times?
if you want to use the same seasonings you could, but the cooking time will be much shorter. look up a recipe with a tenderloin the same weight as the one you are using, and just stick to the seasonings in this recipe, and crib the cooking directions from another recipe!
Is that one 17 lb roast? Or one 7lb roast?
Thanks
one 7-pound roast!
Can this be put in slow cooker?
sure! less of a crust, of course, but you definitely could, for 6 hours on low I would think.
Made this on the grill. Awesome!
This was so flipping delicious!! My oven didn’t need as much time to crisp up the outside of the pork. The orange juice, lemon juice and sangria set it off!! Thank you for the recipe and the suggestions .
About to place in in the over and wondered if the fat side should be up or down (touching the pan).
up, but either way you won’t mess it up!
I just prepared it, and it will sit in my fridge overnight before putting it in the oven. My question is do you put it on a rack in the roasting pan, or directly on the pan surface when baking it?
either way is fine! I didn’t use a rack, but if you want more of the fat to drip off, you certainly can.
puedes usar la rejilla o no, sabrás que en la cocción, es normal que la carne desprenda jugos. mi consejo, como buen dominicano, es que al final debes ponerlo en rejilla para el golpe de calor para dorar la piel y que esta se convierta en un crujiente chicharrón. yo, antes de dar el golpe de calor final, siempre froto sal fina sobre la piel antes de subir la llama.
I have made this recipe twice. The first time it was great. There were zero complaints and my family eagerly ate it all up; there was nothing left over. The 2nd time, with just a slight tweak, it was PHENOMENAL. I used 3 tablespoons of Adobo seasoning instead of 2, omitted the two teaspoons of salt, and added some of my favorite sangria wine (about 1.5 cups) in the baking pan after removing the aluminum foil (after the initial 3 hours). The touch of freshly squeezed lemon and orange juice at the end is *P*E*R*F*E*C*T*I*O*N*. Yes, it takes time. Yes, it takes preparation. Yes, it is SAVORY and DIVINE! I think that overnight refrigeration is key; as is letting the pork adjust to room temperature before placing in the oven. The tantalizing aroma for the six hours the pork was cooking filled our home (and stomachs) with eager anticipation. Good things come to those who wait!
wow, you made me want to make it again right now!!