My Dad's Pernil (Roast Pork)

My parents have been married for over 50 years. My mom was very young when she married my father and did not know a thing about cooking. My father worked in many restaurants and made magic in the kitchen. He taught my mom to cook Puerto Rican food and she mastered it. They were a team in the kitchen and still to this day my father makes all of the special occasion dishes. I remember he had the sharpest knives, the best pallet and he wore an apron.

My parents taught all of us (I have 3 older brothers - but that's a different story...) how to cook authentic Puerto Rican food. Like my father, I love everything about cooking. Experimenting with ingredients, the smells, the flavors, and of course the social gatherings at the dinner table. As an adult, I owned a restaurant. We served American food but at least once a month I would create a special menu of Puerto Rican food. My father, our Chef and I would cook Arroz con Gandules (Rice with Pigeon Peas), Pernil (Roast Pork), Tostones (Twice Fried Green Plantains)... Every time we served Puerto Rican food we would sell out.

I'm currently working on a Latin cookbook. The best part of working on a cookbook is testing recipes....Here is my Pernil the way mom & dad made it! 

Recipe:  PERNIL (PORK SHOULDER) Perfect when the meat is juicy and the skin crispy.

Ingredients: The great thing about Latin Cooking is that its all about taste!

1 (8lb.) PERNIL (Bone In Pork Shoulder)
6 - 8 cloves of garlic
Adobo Goya to your taste
2 Tsp of ground black pepper
1 Tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

In a Pilón (Mortar & Pestle) smash your garlic then combine to rest of ingredients. This will create your rub.

Make stabs about 1 inch wide. Rub entire shoulder and fill holes with rub. Let sit overnight or at least a few hours. 

Bake at 350 for 3 hours or until juices run clear. Turn heat up to 400 (this will create the crispy skin) for 15 - 20 minutes. Serve with the delicious juices.  

The perfect wine combination to Pork Shoulder is a Zindfandel  - Red wine with a jammy fruit like blackberry is the perfect match. 

Seriously my mouth is watering...

More Pics to follow...Of course I'm making tostones & arroz con gandules 

Crispy Skin...

The Meal...