Chef Zee's pernil dominicano (pork shoulder). Today I'm sharing one of my all time favorite recipes that my grandmother taught me! Pernil is roasted pork shoulder and if you've had pulled pork—which uses the same cut of meat—then you know that pork shoulder is Roasting the pernil is also fairly simple. Pernil is also roasted pork shoulder.

Pernil is a slow cooked pork roast, usually a shoulder, butt or leg, that is very typically enjoyed during the holidays. It is a classic Puerto Rican dish, and also a classic dish in the Dominican Republic, though unsurprisingly there are small differences that mean a lot. This is the best pernil dominicano that you will ever have. You can have Chef Zee's pernil dominicano (pork shoulder) using 13 ingredients and 3 steps. Here is how you cook it.

Ingredients of Chef Zee's pernil dominicano (pork shoulder)

It's 1 1/2-2 heads of garlic.
Prepare 1 tbs of oregano.
You need 4-7 lb of pernil.
You need 1/2 of salt..if you have a 7lb pork use 3.5 tbs salt.
You need 1 tsp of thyme.
It's 1/2 tsp of cumin.
You need 1 of red onion.
It's 1 of chicken bouillon cube.
You need 1 of orange.
It's 1 1/2 of limes.
You need 1/4 c of olive oil.
It's 3-4 c of water.
It's 1/4 c of white vinegar.

Puerto Rican Pernil is typically made from a picnic cut pork shoulder, but I used a Boston butt (which is still the shoulder) since that's what was available. Just make sure to get a shoulder with the fat cap still on it - it keeps the meat tender and flavorful. If you buy a big pork shoulder and take your time, as you should, the classic Puerto Rican pork roast called pernil can take you nearly all day. Yet there are times I feel almost guilty about this dish because the process is beyond easy and incredibly impressive, it feeds as. lbs pork shoulder (bone in pernil).

Chef Zee's pernil dominicano (pork shoulder) instructions

Poke holes all over pork using "X" motion. Place in large mixing bowl with 1 c water & vinegar. Massage vinegar and water into pork & let sit 5-10 min. Marinade: combine garlic, oregano, salt, bouillon cube, cumin, onion, black pepper, thyme in a blender or food processor & blend..
Drain pernil. Season pork usung marinade. Massage marinade into pork. I would use gloves. Cover & let marinade over night..
In a large pot, place pork skin side up. Add 1-2 cup of water & add marinade from bowl. Let boil 45-55 min. Switch pork to a baking pan. Let cook covered at 350 for 3hrs. Baste pork every hour. Take out 50% of juices (you can use for rice) and let roast uncovered for 1 hour. Broil for 5-7 minutes for crispy skin..

Leaving the fat in a single piece and attached at one end, use a knife to remove the layer of fat from the shoulder, opening it like a book to reveal the meat. Most pork shoulder recipes have long cooking times anyway, though, so using a picnic shoulder is fine. The major difference is that picnic shoulders have a huge bone down the middle; it adds flavor, but you'll have to cut around it to serve. Pernil is a Puerto Rican dish traditionally served at Christmas, but delicious any time of year. It can be tricky to master the traditional way, as you need to slow roast it until fall-apart tender, yet you also want to achieve the crispy skin (crackling, or "chicharrones".