Learn the secrets of perfect Pérnil al Caldero in this step-by-step recipe

This recipe offers a method to achieve perfectly crisp skin and juicy meat
Pérnil al Caldero
Pérnil al CalderoMilk Street via AP
Published on
Updated on
3 min read

Pérnil al caldero is a beloved Puerto Rican dish featuring tender, slow-cooked pork with irresistibly crispy skin. The name combines pérnil—a roast made from pork shoulder or ham—and caldero, the traditional aluminium pot with rounded sides and a tight-fitting lid used for cooking.

This recipe by Christopher Kimball offers a method to achieve perfectly crisp skin and juicy meat. First, the pork is braised on the stovetop, then the skin is removed, fried separately in a skillet, and served alongside the roast. While a caldero is traditional, a Dutch oven works just as well.

The flavorful adobo marinade is made by blending garlic, oregano, vinegar, olive oil, and seasoning into a paste, rubbed over the meat and left to marinate for at least four hours. The braising liquid, enriched with garlic and oregano, is transformed into a savory sauce to complete the dish.

Puerto Rican Slow-Cooked Pork Roast (Pérnil al Caldero)

Milk Street via AP

Start to finish: 6 hours (45 minutes active), plus refrigeration

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

15 medium garlic cloves, peeled, divided

2 tablespoons dried oregano, divided

3 tablespoons white vinegar, divided, plus more to taste

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

5- to 7-pound bone-in, skin-on Boston butt roast or pork picnic shoulder

1½ cups grapeseed, vegetable or other neutral oil

Method:

In a mortar, combine 10 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon oregano, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1½ tablespoons kosher salt and 1 tablespoon pepper. Pound with the pestle to form a smooth paste.

Using a sharp, slender knife, pull back the skin of the pork with one hand while cutting horizontally into the fat between the skin and meat to remove the skin in a single piece, leaving it attached, or hinged, along one edge.

With the skin peeled back, rub the garlic-herb paste on all sides of the roast; do not coat the surface of the skin. Replace the skin. Wrap the roast tightly with plastic wrap and set on a large plate. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours but preferably longer (up to 24 hours).

When ready to cook, unwrap the roast and pat it dry with paper towels. In a large (at least 7-quart) Dutch oven or caldero over medium-high, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil until barely smoking.

Add the pork skin side up and cook until well browned on the bottom, 5 to 7 minutes. Add 2 to 3 cups water around, not over, the pork to a depth of about 1½ inches; the amount of water will vary depending on the pot's diameter and size of the roast. Scatter the remaining 5 garlic cloves and the remaining 1 tablespoon of oregano into the liquid around the pork.

Bring to a boil, then cover the pot, reduce to low and simmer gently until the centre of the pork (not touching bone) registers 195°F, or a skewer inserted into the meat meets no resistance, about 5 hours; if the liquid evaporates, add more water to maintain a depth of about 1½ inches.

Remove the pot from the heat. Transfer the roast to a large plate and tent it with foil. Tilt the pot to pool the liquid to one side and use a wide spoon to skim off and discard as much fat as possible from the surface.

Using a potato masher, mash the garlic cloves until smooth. You should have about 2 cups of cooking liquid. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar, then taste and season with pepper; set aside.

Using the sharp, slender knife, cut the skin free from the roast and place it fatty side up on a cutting board. With a soupspoon, carefully scrape off and discard as much fat as possible.

Pour the neutral oil into a 12-inch nonstick skillet, then place the skin fatty side up in the pan. Partially cover and cook over low, occasionally shaking the pan, until the skin is golden brown and crisped on the bottom, 25 to 30 minutes.

Uncover and wipe any condensation from the inside of the lid. Flip the skin, partially re-cover and cook until the second side is golden brown and crisped, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet.

Remove and discard the bone from the pork. Slice the pork or cut it into chunks.

Arrange on a large platter and pour some of the juices over the meat. Cut the crisped skin into pieces and scatter over the pork. Serve with the remaining juices on the side.

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