Puerto Rican Pernil

Pernil is the driving force behind a solid, Puerto Rican Christmas dinner. Garlicky, succulent, slow-roasted pork. It’s traditionally served with arroz con gandules and pasteles (which are a Puerto Rican version of tamales wrapped in banana leaves). My family has always made bone-in and skin-on pork shoulder since it’s much more accessible than a whole hog (especially when you’re able to get them at the lechoneras on the island), so that’s what I would totally suggest here! The fat helps by keeping the meat moist while slow roasting.

But the best part of the pernil though? The crispy, crunchy skin. We call it cuerito and it’s truly the most coveted part of the roast next to the cheek (when you’re getting an entire pig roasted up). We often cut up enough pieces of cuerito so everyone gets a little bit with the meat during dinner.

My favorite place to visit back home for pernil is a town called Guavate, known for its famous Pork Highway. Just a relatively short drive outside of San Juan, here you can find kiosks and lechoneras (roasting stands) lined all up the down the tropical, mountain road roasting whole pigs (lechón) with the fixings. Below is a photo with my Dad enjoying the day and literally pigging out on a shared feast.

We’re both pretty pumped about this lechón.

A typical spread of fixings from a lechonera. From left to right: stewed yuca, boiled guineo (green banana), arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas), a cold Medalla, yautia (taro root), cuajito (stewed pig stomach), and morcilla (fried blood sausage).

What’s most important to remember about making pernil at home is having the time do so. This isn’t a dish that’s done quickly. You have to dedicate a night to marinate the pork with mojo and about 30-45 minutes per pound of meat when roasting; so the cooking time is really going to depend on how much your pork shoulder weighs. It’s worth all of the work and effort, I promise.

Puerto Rican Pernil

Prep time: overnight marinade

Cook time: 3-6 hours, depending on weight of pork

Serves: 10-15 people

6-8 pound Boston butt (aka pork shoulder), bone-in and with fat cap left on

2 heads garlic, cloves peeled and left whole

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp ground black pepper

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp adobo spice blend (homemade or store bought, see note)

1 tsp sazón spice blend (homemade or store bought, see note)

Note: I prefer to make my own adobo and sazón spice blends to control the amount of salt that goes into each mixture. I make my blends (recipes available in my mini digital cookbook) with an ample amount of kosher salt to avoid double-salting my meals when cooking. Keep in mind to properly salt meat, it’s recommended to use 1 teaspoon of kosher salt per pound of meat, so don’t be afraid to salt the pork if the blends you’re using are salt-free or are low-sodium. If you want to be sure, you can easily cut a tiny piece of meat off after seasoning it and cook it on the stove until it’s cooked through to ensure it’s the right flavor you’re wanting, just like you would to test a meatball or hamburger patty. If you want to use store-bought options, I suggest my own blends with Spice Tribe, La Preferida, Badia, or Loisa as great alternatives.

In a small food processor or blender, combine the garlic, dried oregano, black pepper, extra virgin olive oil, adobo, and sazón. Set the mojo aside for the pork.

Next, cut the fat cap almost off the pork by leaving it hanging like the photos below. If you have fat left on the skin after cutting the skin off, that’s totally fine and typically ideal. This will help keep the meat juicy when roasting. Then, using a paring knife, cut slits all over the meat without cutting into the skin. Take the mojo and spoon it into the slits and then rub all over the pork.

Once the mojo is added to the pork, make sure everything is fully covered with the garlic mixture and place the fat cap back over the pork like normal. Refrigerate the pork uncovered in the roasting dish you’re planning on cooking it in (easier cleanup later) overnight so the top of the pork itself can dry out in the fridge. This will ensure a crispy skin the next day.

When ready to roast the next day, preheat your oven to 350ºF and take the pork out of the fridge. Let it sit for about 30-45 minutes to get some of the chill off and then roast. Remove any excess marinade off of the fat cap so it doesn’t burn while roasting. And here is where you’re going to leave things alone.

Depending on the weight of the pork, roast it uncovered for 30-45 minutes per pound. This also will determine just how early you’ll want to get the pork in the oven depending on when your dinner is. Typically, I’d wake up super early on Christmas Eve day to get the pernil in the oven so it can roast low and slow by the time we’re ready to sit down and eat.

After the 3 hour mark, check the pork’s internal temperature. Once it’s at 180°F, the pork is ready. The skin should be a beautiful, golden color at this point but you’re going to want to crisp it up. Crank the heat up on the oven to 450°F and crisp the skin for the pork. This will be to your liking and normally takes 15-20 minutes, but my favorite way to test out the skin is by knocking on it. If it sounds like you’re knocking on a tiny door, the skin is ready. The crisped skin, which we call cuerito, should sound hollow, with a super crisp exterior and a tender layer underneath from the fat.

Let the meat rest for about 20-30 minutes before carving or pulling. Remove the cuerito completely and then serve. Cut the cuerito up into small pieces so each person gets some skin on their plate for dinner. Serve the pernil with arroz con gandules, potato salad, tostones, and sliced avocado for an authentic Puerto Rican Christmas dinner.

A good tip? Leftovers the next day always make for some bomb Cuban sandwiches (that’s how we eat them at home a day or two later) so make sure to save some for a delicious lunch.

¡Buen provecho!