Recipe of the Day: Pernil (Puerto Rican Pork Shoulder)

For those that don't know, I am Puerto Rican.  Aside from Thanksgiving Turkey, we also make Pernil and we eat Pasteles. I guarantee you that you will love it! Here is the recipe for this awesome holiday dish. 

Ingredients:

• 8 lb picnic pork shoulder
• 12 minced garlic cloves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 pack of Sazon
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 3 tablespoons white vinegar 
• 3 tablespoons of Adobo
• 8 teaspoons salt (or 1 teaspoon of salt per pound of meat if you are using a smaller cut of meat)
• Sofrito (homemade not store-bought)

Directions:

1. Wash the pork shoulder.
2. With a sharp knife, cut the skin off and peel back
3. Then make 1 inch deep slits into the pork.
4. With mortar and pestle crush garlic, oregano, adobo, sazon together. Add canola oil, vinegar Sofrito, and salt. Mix well. If you need more then repeat these steps
5. Spoon some of the mixture inside the small cuts around the pork, and spread remaining mixture all over the pork.
6. Place pork in an aluminum turkey pan (skin side up); cover with aluminum foil tightly. Refrigerate at least 8 hours. (I have marinated this for as long as 4 days.).
7. Bake in a pre-heated 325 degrees Fahrenheit oven for about 5 to 6 hours.
8. Remove aluminum foil and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for another hour or until skin is crisp. Closely watch this so you don't burn the skin (chicharrone).
9. Pork should be well-done and tender.