Want to roast a fresh pork picnic shoulder indoors and wondered if anyone has a great recipe - I've seen T Florence's on food tv and that seems to be the general consensus for this type of cut...rub and marinade (adobo) overnight, roast at 325 till done.
Also, should the outermost layer of skin be removed or just scored deeply?
Pernil
Started by
weinoo
, Dec 09 2004 04:14 PM
27 replies to this topic
#1
weinoo
-
- host
- 5,731 posts
Posted 09 December 2004 - 04:14 PM
Mitch Weinstein aka "weinoo"
Host, eGullet Forums
mweinstein@eGstaff.org
Tasty Travails - My Blog
My eGullet FoodBog - A Tale of Two Boroughs
Was it you baby...or just a Brilliant Disguise?
#2
russ parsons
-
- participating member
- 1,744 posts
Posted 09 December 2004 - 05:28 PM
oh god no! don't remove the skin. score it. roast it at 325. turn the heat up to 450 to crisp the skin. you don't even need a fancy rub. salt and pepper and maybe a hint of minced rosemary. it is pure porkiness.
here's a version i did. paula wolfert, who is much smarter and a much better cook than i am, disagrees on the cooking temperature and there is a lot to recommend about her method. i do find that the crackling doesn't crisp up quite as well, though the meat is somewhat moister (it slices like a wet sponge). mine is more of a compromise between moistness and crackling.
Roast pork shoulder master recipe
Wolfert's method for incredibly moist pork shoulder, roast the pork at 250 degrees to an internal temperature of 170 degrees, about 6 hours.
1 (8-pound) leg of pork
Salt
1. Pat the roast dry with a paper towel and carefully score the skin into diamond shapes. This is most easily done with a small sharp knife.
2. Sprinkle the roast liberally with salt, about 2 1/2 tablespoons. Place the roast upright on a plate, with the shank pointing straight up. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 2 hours to overnight.
3. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Remove the roast from the refrigerator; pat dry. Arrange on a rack in a roasting pan, skin-side up and place in the oven. Roast to an internal temperature of 150 degrees, about 2 3/4 to 3 hours.
4. When the meat is done, raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees for 15 minutes to crisp the skin. Remove the roast from the oven and let stand at least 20 minutes to 1 hour.
5. To serve, use a carving knife to slice away the cracklings, keeping them in a single sheet as much as possible. Place on a separate plate. Slice away any thick pieces of fat that may remain. Slice the meat from the bone in 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces. This is most easily done by slicing parallel to the main leg bone, working your way around the leg. Arrange the sliced meat on a platter and place the cracklings on top.
here's a version i did. paula wolfert, who is much smarter and a much better cook than i am, disagrees on the cooking temperature and there is a lot to recommend about her method. i do find that the crackling doesn't crisp up quite as well, though the meat is somewhat moister (it slices like a wet sponge). mine is more of a compromise between moistness and crackling.
Roast pork shoulder master recipe
Wolfert's method for incredibly moist pork shoulder, roast the pork at 250 degrees to an internal temperature of 170 degrees, about 6 hours.
1 (8-pound) leg of pork
Salt
1. Pat the roast dry with a paper towel and carefully score the skin into diamond shapes. This is most easily done with a small sharp knife.
2. Sprinkle the roast liberally with salt, about 2 1/2 tablespoons. Place the roast upright on a plate, with the shank pointing straight up. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 2 hours to overnight.
3. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Remove the roast from the refrigerator; pat dry. Arrange on a rack in a roasting pan, skin-side up and place in the oven. Roast to an internal temperature of 150 degrees, about 2 3/4 to 3 hours.
4. When the meat is done, raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees for 15 minutes to crisp the skin. Remove the roast from the oven and let stand at least 20 minutes to 1 hour.
5. To serve, use a carving knife to slice away the cracklings, keeping them in a single sheet as much as possible. Place on a separate plate. Slice away any thick pieces of fat that may remain. Slice the meat from the bone in 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces. This is most easily done by slicing parallel to the main leg bone, working your way around the leg. Arrange the sliced meat on a platter and place the cracklings on top.
Edited by russ parsons, 09 December 2004 - 05:32 PM.
#3
Wolfert
-
- participating member
- 1,214 posts
Posted 09 December 2004 - 05:52 PM
Russ, thanks for the nice comments on my cooking. If only I understood why I do what I do. Thanks to you I often learn. Your book"Reading a french fry" should be on everyone's gift list this year.
I have a number of different recipes to achieve moist flesh and crackling skin.One method I like is to take a 7 pound picnic shoulder which is a thick piece of meat with a complicated bone structure and treat it to long, slow roasting (45 minutes to a pound) to cook fully. I believe the flesh of this cut has more flavor when slightly overcooked--to at least 175 or 180 internal temperature.
The method I think you might like is to remove the skin in one piece. Calm down, Russ.Score the skin in a wide diamond pattern, cutting about 1/4 inch deep. Rub with olive oil, coarse salt. Pat the meat dry. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place meat on a rack in a flameproof roasting pan, lay the pork skin over the meat, and roast, uncovered without basting for 2 1/2 hours.
Remove the pork from the oven' place the skin, fat side down, under the rack and meat. Return to the oven and roast for 1 1l/2 hours longer, basting with the pan dripping every 20 minutes or so. Raise the oven heat to 350 and roast 1 hour longer. The total roasting time for a 7 pound fresh picnic houlder is 5 hours.
Remove the pork to a work surface and cover loosely with foil; let it rest 15 minutes. Increase the oven to 400. Place the skin, fatty side down, on a flat oven proof dish, and return it to the oven to crisp and brown, 15 minutes.
Slice the pork thin on the diagonal toward the bone. Arrange the slices on a warmed platter, season with salt and pepper, cover and keep warm. Cut the skin into thin strips and pass separately.
In summer,I make a rustic sauce with fresh tomatoes, orange and lemon juice and fresh peppermint. Now, I would make a simple pan sauce and serve it with sauteed apples.
some advance preparation: You might want to rub the pork flesh with a herb=spice paste and drill some holes into the flesh here and there in order to insert garlic slices. A few day in the fridge before coooking will only make it better. The skin which you have removed should lay on a towel covered dish in the refrigerator in order to dry out.
I have a number of different recipes to achieve moist flesh and crackling skin.One method I like is to take a 7 pound picnic shoulder which is a thick piece of meat with a complicated bone structure and treat it to long, slow roasting (45 minutes to a pound) to cook fully. I believe the flesh of this cut has more flavor when slightly overcooked--to at least 175 or 180 internal temperature.
The method I think you might like is to remove the skin in one piece. Calm down, Russ.Score the skin in a wide diamond pattern, cutting about 1/4 inch deep. Rub with olive oil, coarse salt. Pat the meat dry. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place meat on a rack in a flameproof roasting pan, lay the pork skin over the meat, and roast, uncovered without basting for 2 1/2 hours.
Remove the pork from the oven' place the skin, fat side down, under the rack and meat. Return to the oven and roast for 1 1l/2 hours longer, basting with the pan dripping every 20 minutes or so. Raise the oven heat to 350 and roast 1 hour longer. The total roasting time for a 7 pound fresh picnic houlder is 5 hours.
Remove the pork to a work surface and cover loosely with foil; let it rest 15 minutes. Increase the oven to 400. Place the skin, fatty side down, on a flat oven proof dish, and return it to the oven to crisp and brown, 15 minutes.
Slice the pork thin on the diagonal toward the bone. Arrange the slices on a warmed platter, season with salt and pepper, cover and keep warm. Cut the skin into thin strips and pass separately.
In summer,I make a rustic sauce with fresh tomatoes, orange and lemon juice and fresh peppermint. Now, I would make a simple pan sauce and serve it with sauteed apples.
some advance preparation: You might want to rub the pork flesh with a herb=spice paste and drill some holes into the flesh here and there in order to insert garlic slices. A few day in the fridge before coooking will only make it better. The skin which you have removed should lay on a towel covered dish in the refrigerator in order to dry out.
Edited by Wolfert, 09 December 2004 - 06:03 PM.
“C’est dans les vieux pots, qu’on fait la bonne soupe!”, or ‘it is in old pots that good soup is made’.
#4
Toliver
-
- participating member
- 4,470 posts
Posted 09 December 2004 - 06:17 PM
Between you and Russ, it's like reading food porn. It all sounds so succulent, salacious and delicious all at the same time.Russ, thanks for the nice comments on my cooking...
....You might want to rub the pork flesh with a herb=spice paste and drill some holes into the flesh here and there in order to insert garlic slices.
And you've won my heart over with the tidbit about inserting garlic slices. My mom does the same thing with her pork roasts. It adds a nice depth of flavor.
“Peter: Oh my god, Brian, there's a message in my Alphabits. It says, 'Oooooo.'
Brian: Peter, those are Cheerios.”
– From Fox TV’s “Family Guy”
#5
weinoo
-
- host
- 5,731 posts
Posted 09 December 2004 - 06:31 PM
Wow, thanks to you both! I'll be purchasing my shoulder tomorrow and actually am feeding an "insatiable" critic with it on Sunday night - I'll let you know how it turns out - and thanks also for the idea of sauteed apples on the side - I was thinking apple crisp for dessert, but now they'll be used for a side dish...
Mitch Weinstein aka "weinoo"
Host, eGullet Forums
mweinstein@eGstaff.org
Tasty Travails - My Blog
My eGullet FoodBog - A Tale of Two Boroughs
Was it you baby...or just a Brilliant Disguise?
#6
Luckylies
-
- participating member
- 1,340 posts
Posted 10 December 2004 - 08:46 AM
you can make this with or without the adobo.. i like it with a little less oregano. cook this as long as you possibly can well past it's 160 internal temp yada insted of basting it too often I find that picking the whole thing up and flipping it every hour or so works like a charm. dont cut the slits too deep or else the yummy skin will deteriorate. the crip in oven a 450 trick really works.
rent 3 movies for a ten pound shoulder i give it 8 hours (i like mine the texture of pulled pork) also if you go with salt and pepper add the pepper inthe last few hours so it doesn't burn.
so am I invited?
Puerto Rican Pork Roast
1 (4 1/2 to 5 pound) bone-in pork shoulder roast or picnic or whatev
12 medium cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
1/2 tablespoon dried powdered oregano
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper, or to taste
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar or freshly-squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
Rinse pork shoulder under cold running water. Pat it dry with paper towels. Cut shallow slits with a small sharp knife all over the pork shoulder.
Make an adobo, a garlic-spice rub. Purée the garlic with the oregano, salt, black pepper and vinegar or lime juice in a food processor or electric blender. Pour in the olive oil and blend well. You can also make the adobo the old-fashioned way by crushing the garlic, oregano and slat and pepper with a mortar and pestle, and then combining the crushed garlic mixture and the vinegar and oil.
Place pork in a shallow roasting pan on a rack, then pour the adobo over it. Rub the adobo into the pork with your fingers, forcing it into the slits. Cover the pork with plastic wrap and marinate it in the refrigerator overnight.
Roast the pork at 325 degrees F, until tender, Remove the pork from the pan to a carving board and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Serve the pork hot or warm, with accompaniments of your choice.
rent 3 movies for a ten pound shoulder i give it 8 hours (i like mine the texture of pulled pork) also if you go with salt and pepper add the pepper inthe last few hours so it doesn't burn.
so am I invited?
Puerto Rican Pork Roast
1 (4 1/2 to 5 pound) bone-in pork shoulder roast or picnic or whatev
12 medium cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
1/2 tablespoon dried powdered oregano
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper, or to taste
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar or freshly-squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
Rinse pork shoulder under cold running water. Pat it dry with paper towels. Cut shallow slits with a small sharp knife all over the pork shoulder.
Make an adobo, a garlic-spice rub. Purée the garlic with the oregano, salt, black pepper and vinegar or lime juice in a food processor or electric blender. Pour in the olive oil and blend well. You can also make the adobo the old-fashioned way by crushing the garlic, oregano and slat and pepper with a mortar and pestle, and then combining the crushed garlic mixture and the vinegar and oil.
Place pork in a shallow roasting pan on a rack, then pour the adobo over it. Rub the adobo into the pork with your fingers, forcing it into the slits. Cover the pork with plastic wrap and marinate it in the refrigerator overnight.
Roast the pork at 325 degrees F, until tender, Remove the pork from the pan to a carving board and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Serve the pork hot or warm, with accompaniments of your choice.
does this come in pork?
My name's Emma Feigenbaum.
My name's Emma Feigenbaum.
#7
weinoo
-
- host
- 5,731 posts
Posted 10 December 2004 - 12:07 PM
so am I invited?
I've got a full house (well, apartment), but how about next time?
Mitch Weinstein aka "weinoo"
Host, eGullet Forums
mweinstein@eGstaff.org
Tasty Travails - My Blog
My eGullet FoodBog - A Tale of Two Boroughs
Was it you baby...or just a Brilliant Disguise?
#8
snowangel
-
- eGullet Society staff emeritus
- 8,140 posts
Posted 10 December 2004 - 02:52 PM
I would use a lower heat than 325, going with 250 or so for longer. The thing is that you want it to go long and slow, and I would pay less attention to internal temp than "wiggle of the bone" and that fork-tender quality.
Susan Fahning aka "snowangel"
#9
weinoo
-
- host
- 5,731 posts
Posted 15 December 2004 - 07:39 AM
Quick thanks to everyone for their help with this...I sort of combined the recipes/tips - overnight marinate in fridge with Paula's rub from World of Food, skin kept on however, but slashed...roasted for 5 hours at 280 - 300 (this was a 9 lb. shoulder), then cranked the heat up to 450 for final 15 minutes. Rested for a good hour or so - the meat was incredibly moist and juicy and tasty, and the skin was nice and crispy. A big hit. Served with greenmarket new potatoes, sauteed brussels sprouts, and maple syrup glazed apples. Probably had enough meat to feed 8 -10 guests.
And, yesterday I made a big pot of bean soup with the bones and scraps.
Thanks again.
And, yesterday I made a big pot of bean soup with the bones and scraps.
Thanks again.
Mitch Weinstein aka "weinoo"
Host, eGullet Forums
mweinstein@eGstaff.org
Tasty Travails - My Blog
My eGullet FoodBog - A Tale of Two Boroughs
Was it you baby...or just a Brilliant Disguise?
#10
Anna N
-
- eGullet Society staff emeritus
- 4,517 posts
Posted 16 December 2004 - 08:50 AM
Russ, thanks for the nice comments on my cooking. If only I understood why I do what I do. Thanks to you I often learn. Your book"Reading a french fry" should be on everyone's gift list this year.
I have a number of different recipes to achieve moist flesh and crackling skin.One method I like is to take a 7 pound picnic shoulder which is a thick piece of meat with a complicated bone structure and treat it to long, slow roasting (45 minutes to a pound) to cook fully. I believe the flesh of this cut has more flavor when slightly overcooked--to at least 175 or 180 internal temperature.
The method I think you might like is to remove the skin in one piece. Calm down, Russ.Score the skin in a wide diamond pattern, cutting about 1/4 inch deep. Rub with olive oil, coarse salt. Pat the meat dry. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place meat on a rack in a flameproof roasting pan, lay the pork skin over the meat, and roast, uncovered without basting for 2 1/2 hours.
Remove the pork from the oven' place the skin, fat side down, under the rack and meat. Return to the oven and roast for 1 1l/2 hours longer, basting with the pan dripping every 20 minutes or so. Raise the oven heat to 350 and roast 1 hour longer. The total roasting time for a 7 pound fresh picnic houlder is 5 hours.
Remove the pork to a work surface and cover loosely with foil; let it rest 15 minutes. Increase the oven to 400. Place the skin, fatty side down, on a flat oven proof dish, and return it to the oven to crisp and brown, 15 minutes.
Slice the pork thin on the diagonal toward the bone. Arrange the slices on a warmed platter, season with salt and pepper, cover and keep warm. Cut the skin into thin strips and pass separately.
In summer,I make a rustic sauce with fresh tomatoes, orange and lemon juice and fresh peppermint. Now, I would make a simple pan sauce and serve it with sauteed apples.
some advance preparation: You might want to rub the pork flesh with a herb=spice paste and drill some holes into the flesh here and there in order to insert garlic slices. A few day in the fridge before coooking will only make it better. The skin which you have removed should lay on a towel covered dish in the refrigerator in order to dry out.
Made this last night and it turned out really well. Did not have time to do any ageing and avoided a spice rub or garlic because a toddler was going to have a portion, but it was tender and tasty and easy to do. Thanks.
Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"
"It either works fine or not, but what the heck. This is bread, not birth control." Susan of Wild Yeast blog
Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog
My 2004 eG Blog
"It either works fine or not, but what the heck. This is bread, not birth control." Susan of Wild Yeast blog
Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog
My 2004 eG Blog
#11
fifi
-
- eGullet Society staff emeritus
- 7,727 posts
Posted 16 December 2004 - 01:16 PM
I have got to say that this is my favorite hunk-o-pig. I have taken to getting the shank portion from the butcher at my favorite Asian market that has the most exquisite pork. The butcher hauls out the whole quarter of a pig, complete with foot, and we discuss at some length where he is going to cut it. Admittedly, the discussion is mostly with hand signals because he doesn't speak much English and I am certainly not any good in Chinese. I bring the prize home and then decide what to do with it. Often, I put it in this concoction that I got from a Taiwanese friend:
1 large hand of ginger, about fist sized, sliced into the bottom of the pot
1 bunch green onions
½ cup light soy sauce (regular Kikkoman will work)
¾ cup Chinese cooking wine (usually labeled “not for consumption”… no kidding)
¼ cup white vinegar
½ cup rock candy
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
½ cup dark mushroom flavored soy sauce (KJ uses Pearl River Bridge brand)
What is really fun is to carve a bamboo pattern into the skin and rub it with the dark soy. It makes a beautiful presentation. You baste it every so often and the skin and fat comes out with this lovely mahogany shiny glaze. The fat is to die for. The left over meat is great in tortilla wraps and the "juice" makes a wonderful soba noodle soup.
1 large hand of ginger, about fist sized, sliced into the bottom of the pot
1 bunch green onions
½ cup light soy sauce (regular Kikkoman will work)
¾ cup Chinese cooking wine (usually labeled “not for consumption”… no kidding)
¼ cup white vinegar
½ cup rock candy
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
½ cup dark mushroom flavored soy sauce (KJ uses Pearl River Bridge brand)
What is really fun is to carve a bamboo pattern into the skin and rub it with the dark soy. It makes a beautiful presentation. You baste it every so often and the skin and fat comes out with this lovely mahogany shiny glaze. The fat is to die for. The left over meat is great in tortilla wraps and the "juice" makes a wonderful soba noodle soup.
Linda LaRose aka "fifi"
"Having spent most of my life searching for truth in the excitement of science, I am now in search of the perfectly seared foie gras without any sweet glop." Linda LaRose
"Having spent most of my life searching for truth in the excitement of science, I am now in search of the perfectly seared foie gras without any sweet glop." Linda LaRose
#12
trillium
-
- participating member
- 1,515 posts
Posted 16 December 2004 - 03:49 PM
What a perfect timing sort of thread. I just got done processing a whole milk fed hog (the salume were hung in the closet with care....) but I saved a piece of the shoulder (boned out) to roast skin on, in addition to the pieces of belly I saved from the pancetta and bacon production (the ethnic Chinese dude in the house has dibs on how those get cooked). This is the first year we got our pig done by someone who leaves the skin on. I was wondering how to roast the shoulder meat so it gets tender, but to have a nice crisply crackling on top. Thanks to this thread, I now know! Because this pork has such a buttery and soft, sweet flavor, I might just do S&P, but I wonder about the advantage of removing the skin before it roasts. Comments?
regards,
trillium
regards,
trillium
#13
Suzanne F
-
- legacy participant
- 7,398 posts
Posted 16 December 2004 - 08:57 PM
It's too bad Wilfrid's beloved can't settle this, but if it doesn't have garlic, can you really call it pernil? I'm thinking of the Dominican and Puerto Rican versions, such as the one Luckylies posted and those I've eaten in local restaurants: they all have garlic -- preferably, a LOT of garlic.
So while the other methods of cooking a pork shoulder sound really good, do you end up with pernil or just a superior roasted pork shoulder?
So while the other methods of cooking a pork shoulder sound really good, do you end up with pernil or just a superior roasted pork shoulder?
#14
weinoo
-
- host
- 5,731 posts
Posted 18 December 2004 - 06:21 AM
Because this pork has such a buttery and soft, sweet flavor, I might just do S&P, but I wonder about the advantage of removing the skin before it roasts. Comments?
regards,
trillium
Since I did mine with the skin on, using Paula's rub recipe, and it came out great, I'd have to say try it this way the first time around. Just make sure to keep the temp at 300 or lower till the last 15 minutes of cooking time. It was still way juicy. and when I removed the shoulder from the oven, I was showing an internal temp. of around 170.
Suzanne, certainly all the places on the lower east side marinate with garlic, and lots of it (I love El Castillo de Jagua's version)...but maybe we can get a definitive answer on pernil form one of our Puerto Rican or Domincan egulleteers. How about it, Luckylies?
Mitch Weinstein aka "weinoo"
Host, eGullet Forums
mweinstein@eGstaff.org
Tasty Travails - My Blog
My eGullet FoodBog - A Tale of Two Boroughs
Was it you baby...or just a Brilliant Disguise?
#15
Luckylies
-
- participating member
- 1,340 posts
Posted 19 December 2004 - 06:23 AM
Because this pork has such a buttery and soft, sweet flavor, I might just do S&P, but I wonder about the advantage of removing the skin before it roasts. Comments?
regards,
trillium
Since I did mine with the skin on, using Paula's rub recipe, and it came out great, I'd have to say try it this way the first time around. Just make sure to keep the temp at 300 or lower till the last 15 minutes of cooking time. It was still way juicy. and when I removed the shoulder from the oven, I was showing an internal temp. of around 170.
Suzanne, certainly all the places on the lower east side marinate with garlic, and lots of it (I love El Castillo de Jagua's version)...but maybe we can get a definitive answer on pernil form one of our Puerto Rican or Domincan egulleteers. How about it, Luckylies?
Ha! a definitive answer when foods involved? well, firstly unfortunatly I'm not either Dominican or Puerto Rican..I'm Black/ Jewish/ Native American/ New Yorker etc.. no yummy pernil in the roots. Unless you count my mother having a latin american cooking phase a while back... But since I consider myself an authority on just about EVERYTHING
I'll both ditto and laud both Suzanne and Trillium's opinion on pernil. It must have tons of garlic. I've never seen "pernil" without crisp skin, very tender, jucy, fragrant meat and platanos maduros...well, thats just the side of my choice...regarding el castillo de jagua (sooo good,, 'cept their always out of pernil by the time I get there... the baked chicken is really good too)I'm roasting pernil right now, 14 pounder for a christmas party. over night on low in the vulcan (bout 170) and then a good part of today. I think I'm going to pull half and sauce it a la carolina bbq... serve it with coleslaw and cream bisquits. the other half is coming home for cracklins and plantains and rice and beans on tuesday. mmmmm pork week (can anybody recommend any excercises I can do sitting down?)
does this come in pork?
My name's Emma Feigenbaum.
My name's Emma Feigenbaum.
#16
chefreit
-
- participating member
- 245 posts
Posted 19 December 2004 - 06:54 AM
Because this pork has such a buttery and soft, sweet flavor, I might just do S&P, but I wonder about the advantage of removing the skin before it roasts. Comments?
regards,
trillium
Since I did mine with the skin on, using Paula's rub recipe, and it came out great, I'd have to say try it this way the first time around. Just make sure to keep the temp at 300 or lower till the last 15 minutes of cooking time. It was still way juicy. and when I removed the shoulder from the oven, I was showing an internal temp. of around 170.
Suzanne, certainly all the places on the lower east side marinate with garlic, and lots of it (I love El Castillo de Jagua's version)...but maybe we can get a definitive answer on pernil form one of our Puerto Rican or Domincan egulleteers. How about it, Luckylies?
Ha! a definitive answer when foods involved? well, firstly unfortunatly I'm not either Dominican or Puerto Rican..I'm Black/ Jewish/ Native American/ New Yorker etc.. no yummy pernil in the roots. Unless you count my mother having a latin american cooking phase a while back... But since I consider myself an authority on just about EVERYTHING
I'm roasting pernil right now, 14 pounder for a christmas party. over night on low in the vulcan (bout 170) and then a good part of today. I think I'm going to pull half and sauce it a la carolina bbq... serve it with coleslaw and cream bisquits. the other half is coming home for cracklins and plantains and rice and beans on tuesday. mmmmm pork week (can anybody recommend any excercises I can do sitting down?)
I haven't read all the postings on this however...........
I consider myself an authority on this particular subject
.Anyway.........
This is a no brainier, the only requirements for this dish to be perfect is garlic, onion, citrus, and fresh herbs of the region. I prefer to make a brine out of these ingredients, sort of like a watered-down mojo. And submerge it for 3 days min.
Here is the most important part the s............................L................................o...................................w
c.......................o.....................................o..............................k..................i..............................n..........................................g!
500* 15/20min, 275* 6-8 hours.
I Will Be..................
"The Next Food Network Star!"
"The Next Food Network Star!"
#17
Miami Danny
-
- participating member
- 404 posts
Posted 19 December 2004 - 05:38 PM
For the citrus part, I recommend some bitter orange. I also find marinating in white(!) wine for a day or two really makes for a moist shoulder.
#18
weinoo
-
- host
- 5,731 posts
Posted 20 December 2004 - 05:38 AM
For the citrus part, I recommend some bitter orange.
I actually did use the bitter orange juice from Goya for the citrus/acid component of my rub/marinade. Goya makes some great stuff!
Mitch Weinstein aka "weinoo"
Host, eGullet Forums
mweinstein@eGstaff.org
Tasty Travails - My Blog
My eGullet FoodBog - A Tale of Two Boroughs
Was it you baby...or just a Brilliant Disguise?
#19
chefreit
-
- participating member
- 245 posts
Posted 20 December 2004 - 08:04 AM
For the citrus part, I recommend some bitter orange.
I actually did use the bitter orange juice from Goya for the citrus/acid component of my rub/marinade. Goya makes some great stuff!
You'll get the same results with fresh lime,
in fact up here (NJ) the limes are much better quilty then the bitter oranges.
I never could found greatness in the bitter orange, however maybe I just don't get it.
Edited by chefreit, 20 December 2004 - 08:04 AM.
I Will Be..................
"The Next Food Network Star!"
"The Next Food Network Star!"
#20
Mabelline
-
- participating member
- 2,950 posts
Posted 20 December 2004 - 08:23 AM
fifi's recipe that she mentioned was killer. Last year I had a bison hump roast and a skin from a ham. Combined the two and used her recipe to slow bake the roast, covered with the ham skin, and it came out excellent!! I would do it again in a minute, because I got so many compliments, but there's no bison this year 
This is a virtual slamdunk pork recipe...for those who grew up with the overdry pork a lot of people grew up eating, it is a sublime taste awakening. And in my opinion, there cannot ever be enough onions or garlic in a meat dish.
This is a virtual slamdunk pork recipe...for those who grew up with the overdry pork a lot of people grew up eating, it is a sublime taste awakening. And in my opinion, there cannot ever be enough onions or garlic in a meat dish.
#21
chefreit
-
- participating member
- 245 posts
Posted 20 December 2004 - 10:23 AM
FiFi!
Still waiting on that Carribean oxtail recipe!
LOL!
Still waiting on that Carribean oxtail recipe!
LOL!
Edited by chefreit, 20 December 2004 - 10:24 AM.
I Will Be..................
"The Next Food Network Star!"
"The Next Food Network Star!"
#22
SheenaGreena
-
- participating member
- 1,170 posts
Posted 14 January 2010 - 10:12 PM
About to do some pernil tomorrow. Was wondering, do I crisp up the skin at the beginning of the cooking or at the end? I'm getting both answers and wanted to know what was the best suggestion?
BEARS, BEETS, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
#23
vice
-
- host
- 900 posts
Posted 15 January 2010 - 08:22 AM
I do it at the end, and often times I find that it's crisped up fine during the long and low cooking so I don't even bother with a final blast
#24
kayb
-
- participating member
- 849 posts
Posted 16 January 2010 - 01:13 PM
My favorite pernil recipe is one I cut-and-pasted from the New York Times years ago. The house smells like it for a week, so I usually do it outdoors on the grill.
1 pork shoulder, 4 to 7 pounds (or use fresh ham)
4 or more cloves garlic, peeled
1 large onion, quartered
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves or 1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ancho or other mild chili powder
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil as needed
1 tablespoon wine or cider vinegar
Lime wedges for serving.
1. Heat oven to 300 degrees. Score meat’s skin with a sharp knife, making a cross-hatch pattern. Pulse garlic, onion, oregano, cumin, chili, salt and pepper together in a food processor, adding oil in a drizzle and scraping down sides as necessary, until mixture is pasty. (Alternatively, mash ingredients in a mortar and pestle.) Blend in the vinegar.
2. Rub this mixture well into pork, getting it into every nook and cranny. Put pork in a roasting pan and film bottom with water. Roast pork for several hours (a 4-pound shoulder may be done in 3 hours), turning every hour or so and adding more water as necessary, until meat is very tender. Finish roasting with the skin side up until crisp, raising heat at end of cooking if necessary.
3. Let meat rest for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting it up; meat should be so tender that cutting it into uniform slices is almost impossible; rather, whack it up into chunks. Serve with lime.
1 pork shoulder, 4 to 7 pounds (or use fresh ham)
4 or more cloves garlic, peeled
1 large onion, quartered
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves or 1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ancho or other mild chili powder
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil as needed
1 tablespoon wine or cider vinegar
Lime wedges for serving.
1. Heat oven to 300 degrees. Score meat’s skin with a sharp knife, making a cross-hatch pattern. Pulse garlic, onion, oregano, cumin, chili, salt and pepper together in a food processor, adding oil in a drizzle and scraping down sides as necessary, until mixture is pasty. (Alternatively, mash ingredients in a mortar and pestle.) Blend in the vinegar.
2. Rub this mixture well into pork, getting it into every nook and cranny. Put pork in a roasting pan and film bottom with water. Roast pork for several hours (a 4-pound shoulder may be done in 3 hours), turning every hour or so and adding more water as necessary, until meat is very tender. Finish roasting with the skin side up until crisp, raising heat at end of cooking if necessary.
3. Let meat rest for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting it up; meat should be so tender that cutting it into uniform slices is almost impossible; rather, whack it up into chunks. Serve with lime.
Don't ask. Eat it.
www.kayatthekeyboard.wordpress.com
www.kayatthekeyboard.wordpress.com
#25
SheenaGreena
-
- participating member
- 1,170 posts
Posted 18 January 2010 - 10:45 PM
I ended up cooking it at 320 for 7 hours and then blasting the heat at the end. Came out really nice, of course I could've marinated it longer or even brined it. Oh well, I was hungry and wanted it asap.
Attached Images
BEARS, BEETS, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
#26
Katie Meadow
-
- participating member
- 1,164 posts
Posted 16 October 2011 - 07:30 PM
Okay, I'm making Pernil for the first time. And I've read this thread. Unfortunately my pork shoulder has neither bone nor skin, just a layer of fat on one side. It weighs just a bit over 4 lbs. Prep for tomorrow's meal was done today: made a wet rub, very garlicky, and did the little cuts and inserted rub, then rubbed the remainder on the outside. The hunk is sitting in a bowl covered w/plastic wrap in the fridge.
Then I started reading about cooking time and temps. Wild variations! Here's a small selection:
Start oven 450 and after an hour turn it down to 300 or 350, cook about 1/2 hr per lb total.
Start high, then lower but cover until the last half hour to crisp it up.
Start low uncovered, cook an hour, then cover. Turn up the heat the last 15 minutes.
Cook at 170 degrees six hours. Cook 250 degrees 3 or 4 hours.
Time varied, depending upon heat, anywhere from 3 to 5 hours for a 4 lb roast.
Put it on a rack. Don't put it on a rack. Put water in the bottom of the roasting pan. Don't put any liquid in. Baste. Don't baste.
So....any advice? I'm getting the feeling that since I have only a modest layer of fat and no skin, perhaps I should be careful not to let it dry out. I have no idea what to do.
Then I started reading about cooking time and temps. Wild variations! Here's a small selection:
Start oven 450 and after an hour turn it down to 300 or 350, cook about 1/2 hr per lb total.
Start high, then lower but cover until the last half hour to crisp it up.
Start low uncovered, cook an hour, then cover. Turn up the heat the last 15 minutes.
Cook at 170 degrees six hours. Cook 250 degrees 3 or 4 hours.
Time varied, depending upon heat, anywhere from 3 to 5 hours for a 4 lb roast.
Put it on a rack. Don't put it on a rack. Put water in the bottom of the roasting pan. Don't put any liquid in. Baste. Don't baste.
So....any advice? I'm getting the feeling that since I have only a modest layer of fat and no skin, perhaps I should be careful not to let it dry out. I have no idea what to do.
#27
djyee100
-
- society donor
- 1,313 posts
Posted 17 October 2011 - 05:33 PM
Actually, in reading your post I think I've tried all those methods with roasted pork shoulder at one time or another, and they all work. If covered, the pork shoulder will release a lot of liquid. No need to add liquid to the pan. I don't bother with a rack myself. Also, I never baste pork shoulder; it doesn't seem to need it.
These days I like to cook the pork shoulder in a covered casserole dish, like a Le Creuset. I pop it into a hot oven, and immediately lower the temp. Start the temp in the 400's, lower to the 300's (or even the 200's) and let cook for about 1/2 to 1 hr per lb. The trick is not about adequately cooking the pork. With the long cooking times, the pork will be cooked. But will it be tender? Keep testing with a skewer for tenderness.
At the end of cooking time I might zap the meat with extra heat so it's well-browned and crispy on the outside. I raise the temp to the 400's, drain off most of the liquid, and put the uncovered pan on the highest oven rack for a few minutes. I keep an eye on the meat so it doesn't burn.
I usually cook a boneless pork shoulder with plenty of fat on it, like the one you described.
These days I like to cook the pork shoulder in a covered casserole dish, like a Le Creuset. I pop it into a hot oven, and immediately lower the temp. Start the temp in the 400's, lower to the 300's (or even the 200's) and let cook for about 1/2 to 1 hr per lb. The trick is not about adequately cooking the pork. With the long cooking times, the pork will be cooked. But will it be tender? Keep testing with a skewer for tenderness.
At the end of cooking time I might zap the meat with extra heat so it's well-browned and crispy on the outside. I raise the temp to the 400's, drain off most of the liquid, and put the uncovered pan on the highest oven rack for a few minutes. I keep an eye on the meat so it doesn't burn.
I usually cook a boneless pork shoulder with plenty of fat on it, like the one you described.
#28
Katie Meadow
-
- participating member
- 1,164 posts
Posted 18 October 2011 - 08:31 AM
Thanks! I ended up cooking the pork very much as you describe. I started with Daisy Martinez wet rub, but her cooking instructions worried me: the heat was rather high, the meat uncovered the whole time, so definitely not low and slow.
I started the pork on a bed of onions at 425 degrees, uncovered in a Creuset pot. After half an hour I turned the oven down to 325, added a minimal amount of white wine plus water (less than an inch) and covered the pot. I cooked it for about 3.5 hours more, checking a couple of times to make sure there was still some moisture in the pot. You are right, that was not an issue. I uncovered the pot for the last 10 minutes, cranked up the heat back to 400, and that was it.
Roughly the cooking time was about an hour per pound (the pork weighed just a little over 4 lbs) and the meat was fall-off-the bone tender (well, without the bone) and succulent. There were three of us, including two men who eat like vacuum cleaners, and we still have a generous hunk for leftovers. I have some slaw leftover, so I'm thinking pulled pork sandwiches? Definitely an economical cut of meat--and not fatty, either. Most of the fat is on the top, and melts away into the sauce on the bottom, and as far as I could tell there isn't a lot of interior fat. I would like to try doing a bone-in skin-on roast if I can find one.
I started the pork on a bed of onions at 425 degrees, uncovered in a Creuset pot. After half an hour I turned the oven down to 325, added a minimal amount of white wine plus water (less than an inch) and covered the pot. I cooked it for about 3.5 hours more, checking a couple of times to make sure there was still some moisture in the pot. You are right, that was not an issue. I uncovered the pot for the last 10 minutes, cranked up the heat back to 400, and that was it.
Roughly the cooking time was about an hour per pound (the pork weighed just a little over 4 lbs) and the meat was fall-off-the bone tender (well, without the bone) and succulent. There were three of us, including two men who eat like vacuum cleaners, and we still have a generous hunk for leftovers. I have some slaw leftover, so I'm thinking pulled pork sandwiches? Definitely an economical cut of meat--and not fatty, either. Most of the fat is on the top, and melts away into the sauce on the bottom, and as far as I could tell there isn't a lot of interior fat. I would like to try doing a bone-in skin-on roast if I can find one.
