Pork Shoulder (Pernil al horno)

My husband loves pork shoulder, so every New Year's Eve I make him this traditional Puerto Rican dish. Despite the fact that I eat it every Christmas season, I was a little scared the first time I tried to make it at home, almost five years ago... That said, it really is a fairly easy, straightforward recipe so don't be afraid to try it yourself!

Also one piece of advise, as with pretty much any meat don't be afraid to really use your hands. For some people handling raw meat is a little icky. Well I'm here to tell you that your hands are your most valuable utensil in the kitchen so don't be afraid or grossed out. It's your food!

     

Procedure for the day before baking

Slice and remove the excess fat. 

Weight your remaining meat. Weighing your meat is vital as it determines how much seasoning you'll be employing.

Briefly rinse the meat under running water then immediately pat it dry with a paper towel. (Make sure to dry it well or else the meat won't brown properly.)

Place the meat in the cooking vessel, fat side up.

Score the meat. The cuts should be about an 1/8 of an inch deep and 1 1/2 inches apart.

Lastly rub the adobo all over the meat and then refrigerate overnight. (See the adobo recipe below)

Adobo Recipe

(The amounts used in this recipe produce enough adobo for a 4-5 pound pork shoulder.)

Ingredients for the Adobo:

6 cloves of garlic 

6 black peppercorns (or ¼ tsp. of ground black pepper)

1 tsp. of dry oregano

1 ½ tbsp. of olive oil

1 ½ tbsp. of white vinegar

1 tsp. of salt per pound of meat. (4 tsp. in this case)

Crush the garlic cloves in the mortar.

Add the salt and continue mashing. 

Add the ground black pepper.

Add the dried oregano.

Add the olive oil

Add the white vinegar

 Lastly add the salt and combine everything. 

Really rub the mixture into all of the pork shoulder. Then cover everything with aluminum foil and put it in the fridge.

Procedure for baking day

Remove the baking pan from the fridge and collect any liquid that the meat may have released. Drizzle any liquid over the meat.

Insert your meat thermometer into the meat (not just the fat). Be careful not to hit the bone when you do this.

Bake the pork shoulder for 35 min. per pound of meat or until the meat reaches 185 degrees F.

Enjoy!!