Puerto Rican Pernil with Crispy Skin
Pork, Puerto Rican
Ingredients
5-8lb pork shoulder, bone-in
1 cup sour orange juice (from seville oranges) OR 1 cup tart grapefruit juice OR 1/2 cup each orange and lemon juice
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, quartered
8-10 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 1/2 cups chopped cilantro
1 large red bell pepper, seeds and center ribs removed
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons paprika (sweet or smoked spanish)
5-8 teaspoons kosher salt (1 teaspoon per pound of pork)
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 cups water
Directions
Rinse the pork shoulder under cold water, then pat very dry. Place it skin-side up in a large roasting pan, right on the pan, not on a roasting rack. Use a knife to cut slits into the skin and fat.
Combine the orange juice, vinegar, olive oil, onion, garlic, cilantro, red bell pepper, cumin, oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor and puree into a smooth paste.
Use your hands to rub the pork shoulder with the paste on all sides, pouring it into any crevices and into the slits cut in the skin. Use all of the marinade. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let it marinate for a minimum of 2 hours, and up to 2 days.
When ready to cook, remove from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature 30 minutes to take off some of the chill. Wipe off excess marinade from the pork skin, then pour water into bottom of the pan so that it goes up about 2 inches on the side of the pork (leave the extra marinade in the pan).
(Note: depending on the size of your roasting pan, you may need more water--feel free to add as much as you need to get the liquid up to 2" in the pan! You can also use broth or a mix of both.)
Oven Cooking (Instant Pot below)
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Cover the roasting pan tightly with foil or pan cover and place it in the oven on the lowest rack. Bake for 4 to 7 hours, or until very tender. (Smaller roasts take less time than larger roasts; ~25-30 minutes per pound. It's very difficult to "overcook" as long as you keep the heat low, the roast covered, and the liquid in the pan--you can even go down to 300 degrees if you want to be safe.)
Instant Pot Cooking
Place the pork and liquid into an Instant Pot pan. Cook on manual, high pressure for 90 minutes. When it finishes, let the pressure naturally release.
Once the meat is tender, remove the foil from the pan and let it broil for about 5 to 10 minutes, or until the skin is crisp and crackling.
Transfer pernil to a serving platter and serve along with reduced pan juices, and a rice dish such as arroz con gandules, boiled yuca, or plantains