Among the world’s traditional long-cooked, oven-roasted meat dishes, pernil de cerdo al horno (roast pork leg) is surely one of the oldest and most beloved. The combination of crispy skin and rich, meltingly tender meat has proved irresistible to generations of diners both highbrow and low. In the Spanish-speaking Caribbean — Puerto Rico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic — pernil enjoys something of the status of a national dish. A spectacularly tasty lunch at a bustling 12-seat Dominican fast-food spot in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn convinced us to try our hand at making the pork at home.
This roast pork dish lives on
To keep it simple, we opted out of more exotic elements, such as the juice of bitter oranges sometimes called for, in favor of paprika, oregano, and plenty of garlic. Fresh pork shoulder (called butt), bone in or out, is a cheap cut and works well. Let it marinate for a day or two and don’t be tempted to trim too much fat. You need it to produce the crispy finish and rich, savory flavors you’re looking for. Imposing as a centerpiece dish with a simple cabbage salad, the pair makes a welcome reprise in hearty sandwiches for a few more days. Just long enough to tide you over while your next pernil marinates.
Stephen Meuse can be reached at bytheglass@globe.com.
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