Pernil

For those of you tired of the bacon recipes, I bring you a pork recipe!  (See what I did there.)

For my Latino friends, pernil is nothing new.  However to my circle of friends and family, pernil was a life-altering addition to our holiday dinner tables.  Pernil is a slow roasted cut of delicious fatty and marbled pork shoulder.  Although the recipe and the cut of meat may look intimidating, it is very easy to make.  And trust me, people will be talking about this dish for years to come.  

Ingredients

1 pork shoulder arm picnic (preferably more than 10 lbs)
1 t. of salt per lb.
1 packet of Sazon
12 minced garlic cloves
3 T. olive oil
3 T. vinegar
1 1/2 t. dried oregano
1 roasting pan (like what you use for turkeys)




1. Wash your pork shoulder and place skin side up in roasting pan.  Slice 1 inch deep holes all over pork shoulder.

2. In food processor or blender, mix together salt, sazon, garlic cloves, olive oil, vinegar, and oregano.

3. Take your herb mix and lather up that pork shoulder.  Make sure you get the herb mixture deep into the cuts on the pork.

4. Wrap the pork tightly in foil and let it marinate for at least 8 hours. (You can do this up to 2 days.)

5. Bake in preheated 325 degree oven for 6 hours.

6. Unwrap the foil to expose the skin.  Bake for another hour at 375 degrees to allow the skin to get crispy.

Make sure you serve the pernil in all of it's juices.  Also, if you think it's amazing the first day, it's even better as leftovers.

Seriously, you're GOING to thank me later.