This Garlicky Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder Beats Glazed Ham Every Time
Pernil is the roast of my childhood. It’s also probably one of the best-known dishes in Puerto Rican cuisine. I associate it with special occasions and big family gatherings of all kinds. Someone would roast a giant pork shoulder slathered in garlic and sofrito for everything from a Sunday cookout to Christmas dinner; we even had one every Thanksgiving (it sat right next to the roasted turkey).
A good pernil is a labor of love, requiring — if not a lot of hands-on time — a good amount of hands-off time. It must marinate for a minimum of 8 hours, and then goes for a long low-and-slow trip through the oven before coming out with flavorful, tender meat and crispy, fatty skin. It’s perfect as the centerpiece for a big feast, served alongside arroz con gandules, masa-filled pasteles, a simple salad, and some sliced avocado. It also makes excellent sandwiches or filling for burritos and tacos. It’s a gift that keeps on giving, and is worth every single minute.
Why You’ll Love It
Packed with flavor. Pernil is marinated for hours in a flavorful blend of sofrito, vinegar, and oregano. Cutting small slits into the thick meat allows the marinade to penetrate the whole roast.
It’s mostly hands-off. For a showstopping main event roast, there is very little hands-on time involved in making a pernil, allowing you to focus on accompaniments and sides while it roasts in the oven.
Key Ingredients in Pernil
Picnic shoulder roast. Picnic shoulder and pork butt are often labeled with the blanket term “pork shoulder,” but they are sourced from different parts of the shoulder. Look for a bone-in roast with the skin on.
Sofrito. This purée of fresh, aromatic ingredients — like garlic, cilantro, sweet peppers, and onion — is the backbone of pernil’s succulent flavor. I recommend making your own, but you can substitute a store-bought version.
White vinegar. Distilled white vinegar adds acidity to the pork marinade.
Oregano. Dried oregano adds concentrated herbiness to the pork seasoning.
How to Make Pernil
Make the marinade. Mix together sofrito, vinegar, and oregano to make a flavor-packed marinade for the pork shoulder.
Prep the pork. Use a sharp knife to separate the skin from the meat. Then cut small holes all over the meat to allow the marinade to season it evenly. Spread the marinade all over the surface of the pork and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
Cook the roast. Roast the pernil for 4 to 5 hours until golden-brown and tender with crispy skin.
How Long to Cook Pernil
Although pernil is a low-and-slow-cooked roast, it’s not meant to be falling off the bone. The goal is very tender meat that can still be sliced or cut into chunks. An internal temperature of 145°F is the minimum temperature that the pork must reach to be safe to eat, per the USDA. However, because the roast is in the oven for so many hours, the temperature will climb much higher, which is OK (and even desirable), as the tough connective tissues in the pork will break down in the higher temperatures of 180°F to 200°F.
Therefore, 30 minutes per pound at 325°F is the perfect pernil doneness for me. If, however, you’d like to take your pernil a bit further, be sure to cover it loosely with aluminum foil once you’ve passed the time range indicated in this recipe to avoid the skin burning.
Helpful Swaps
You can substitute fresh sofrito for a store-bought version.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
The pork shoulder can be marinated for up to 24 hours, refrigerated and wrapped in plastic wrap.
Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
What to Serve with Pernil
Pernil Recipe
Slow-roasted pork shoulder marinated in garlic, herbs, and aromatics with irresistibly crispy skin.
Prep time 20 minutes
Cook time 4 hours to 5 hours
Serves 10 to 12
Ingredients
1 cup fresh sofrito or thawed frozen sofrito
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 (8- to 10-pound) bone-in, skin-on pork shoulder or picnic shoulder roast
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
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Stir 1 cup sofrito, 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar, and 1 tablespoon dried oregano together in a small bowl.
Place 1 pork shoulder skin-side up in a roasting pan. Use a sharp chef’s knife or boning knife to carefully detach the pork skin from the meat: Insert the knife where the fat meets the meat and slowly slice to separate the two layers about 3/4 of the way, leaving one corner attached. Move the pork skin aside, leaving the meat exposed.
Use a paring knife to cut 15 to 20 (1-inch holes) all over the meat (insert the paring knife straight down). Season the meat on all sides with 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1 tablespoon black pepper.
Use your hands to rub the sofrito mixture all over the surface of the meat, using your fingers to push the mixture into the holes. Place the skin back on top of the meat. Cover the pork shoulder and roasting pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.
Remove the pork shoulder from the refrigerator about 1 hour before you’re ready to roast and let sit at room temperature. Arrange an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and remove any racks above it. Heat the oven to 325ºF.
Uncover the pork and wipe any excess marinade from the surface of the skin with paper towels. Place it on a roasting rack if desired.
Roast the pork shoulder for 30 minutes per pound, rotating halfway through cooking, 4 to 5 hours total. The pernil is ready when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat not touching bone registers at least 180°F (so the tough connective tissues break down), the skin is dry and deep golden-brown, and the meat is very tender.
Loosely cover the roast with aluminum foil and let rest for at least 15 minutes. Remove the crispy skin (chicharones) and chop into bite-sized pieces. Cut the meat into large chunks or slices and serve with a few pieces of chicharones.
Recipe Notes
Make ahead: You can make the sofrito up to 1 week ahead and refrigerate in an airtight container or freeze for up to 2 months. If using frozen sofrito, thaw before using.
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
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