Authentic Cuban Roasted Pork?

Question

I found a recipe on all.recipes.com this weekend for it, and I made it, but it just did not come close to what they serve at the local Cuban Restaurant. anyone have something very very authentic?

also, I was told that you can add the cooked juices from the cooked pork into your rice so that the rice gets a nice flavor. is this true and how is it done. TIA

Answer 1

i marinate pork shoulder for 24 hours & i double this recipe because i buy a 8 lb shoulder. always keep some water in the bottom on the baking pan about 1/4 inch at all times.

1 boneless pork shoulder (about 4 pounds), skin on

4 garlic cloves, smashed

1 handful fresh oregano

4 tablespoons Kosher salt (1 tablespoon for every pound of meat)

1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Place the pork, fat-side up, in a roasting pan fitted with a rack insert, and using a sharp knife, score the surface of the meat with small slits. Mash the garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper into a paste on a cutting board with the flat side of a knife; place the adobo in a bowl and stir in the oil and vinegar. Rub the garlic paste all over the pork, being sure to get into the incisions so the salt can penetrate the meat and pull out the moisture - this will help form a crust on the outside when cooked. Cover the pork with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or up to overnight.

Allow the meat to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Roast the pork for 3-4 hours, uncovered, until the skin is crispy-brown. Let the meat rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before shredding.

Answer 2

would have to see recipe you prepared to know what you left out

Answer 3

This is also known as PERNIL AL HORNO (It is a Cuban/Puerto Rican & Dominican pork dish)...the same roasted pork used in Cuban sandwiches.

My mo-in law and I make this dish quite often.  However,  See the attached websites, it's similar as how we make it.

One of the other answerers mentioned that she uses ***sazon & adobo to make her roast pork (or pernil).  We also use the spices/herbs too, but we don't use lard due to health reasons....our Pernil turns out really good, skin is crunchy, and the meat should be tender and juicy (...slow roasting is the key).

***these are spices and packets of herbs found on the Spanish section of the grocery stores (see attached Goya products website for details)  Goya is one brand "Sazon" and "Adobo" are the spice and herbs...also check out their websites for authentic recipes too (if unavailable, you can access the Goya Website)

Re: the juices from the meat.  Pour the juice into a container, store it in the fridge overnite, remove & throw away the fat.  Reheat the juices and pour over the rice (Very good!)

Another alternative for the shredded (pernil) pork (if you're not interested in the crunchy pork skin).  Prep the uncooked pork sholder, remove and discard the skin & fat; spice up the meat overnight w/adobo & sazon and everything reflected on the recipe.  

Place the preseasoned meat in the crock pot. Pour 1/2 can of beef broth and cook under slow for 8 hours.  It'll turn out very tender w/lots of juices (but comes out as shredded pork, great over rice).  Place the juice in the fridge overnight and discard the fat that floats to the top.

Answer 4

i usually make stab marks in the pork, then slice some garlic cloves, put the slices into the slits of the pork, pour some mojo over the pork roast, sprinkle some adobo, sazon, salt and pepper, cumin, for about an hour keep turning from side to side so you're basically marinading, heat the oven to 350d. in a seperate baking dish , put two heaping tbsp of lard (such as crisco) into the baking dish, place the pork roast on top of the lard, place into the oven, for approx 3-4 hrs, depending on the size of the roast, may take longer, but that's plenty of time for a 2-3 lb roast, baste continuously, this will make the skin go to what the spanish call, chiccherrone. good luck, and by the way you can use some of the grease the pork is cooking in to cook your rice, don't use too much though or it will become too greasy, i always make rice and black beans or rice and gandules.