Dominican pernil is the star of the show on Thanksgiving and Christmas, right next to Dominican turkey, but who says you can’t treat yourself to pernil al horno on a random weekend? Serve it with moro de habichuelas y tostones for the ultimate meal.
Pernil is actually not that hard to make, but there definitely is a bit of waiting so you’ll need a bit of patience.
How to clean your pernil before cooking
I always clean my meat before seasoning and cooking it, especially with big cuts of meat like pork shoulder. In a large bowl, I’ll combined white distilled vinegar and lemon juice then place the Dominican pernil in the bowl for 10-15 minutes, moving it around to remove any debris.
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How to get crunchy pernil skin
For crunchy pernil skin, cut away the fat cap from the meat to just leave a flap. Season the meat with your marinade but skip the fat flap and rub salt over the fat instead. Follow the cook instructions and cook for an extra 20-25 minutes to get extra crispy skin.
Should pernil cook covered or uncovered?
Pernil should start by cooking covered with aluminum foil to keep the meat moist and tender. Once it’s cooked through, remove the foil to let the skin get crispy and crunchy. This way, you get both tender meat and a deliciously crispy skin.
Differences between Puerto Rican and Dominican pernil
Dominican and Puerto Rican pernil are particularly different in how the skin is prepared. Dominican pernil is slow roasted at a lower temperature with the main focusing on tenderizing the meat, while Puerto Rican pernil is cooked at a higher temperature to get a consistently crispy skin throughout the roasting process.
Pernil al Horno (Dominican Roasted Pork Shoulder)
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a mortar and pestle, combine mash the garlic then add the sofrito, salt, adobo, sazón, oregano, thyme, black pepper, and cumin. Mash ingredients together until smooth, then mix in the lime and lemon juice and set aside.
- Using a knife, make x-shaped cuts all over the pork shoulder to allow the marinade to penetrate.
- Rub the marinade on the pork shoulder making sure to get it into the cuts, then cover and let the pork marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Place the marinated pork shoulder in a roasting pan or tray with the fat cap on top, cover with aluminum foil, and roast for 3 hours.
- After 3 hours, remove the foil and set the oven to 375°F. Continue roasting uncovered for an additional hour, or until the skin is crispy and the meat is tender.
- Let the pernil rest for 15-20 minutes before carving. Enjoy!
Notes
- For the instant pot, season your pork shoulder and cook it on high pressure for 60-75 minutes. After cooking, broil it in the oven for a few minutes to crisp up the skin.
- For the slow cooker, season the pork and cook it on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-6 hours. Once it’s tender, broil it in the oven to let the skin crisp up.
