Pernil y arroz con gandules are traditional Puerto Rican dishes that Jennifer enjoys cooking every year with her family. Arroz con gandules, Puerto Rican rice made with pigeon peas is the perfect savory side dish to compliment Pernil, slow roasted pork shoulder.
Pernil
Recipe by Chef Kelvin Fernandez, executive chef, Winner on Beat Bobby Flay & 30 under 30.
Cook time: 6-7 hours
- 1 (5-6 lb) Bone in Pork Shoulder
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 12 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ cup fresh oregano leaves
- 2 tablespoons of adobo seasoning
- 1 tablespoon of paprika
- 2 teaspoons of kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper
- ¼ cup green sofrito
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves
- ¼ cup white vinegar
- ¼ cup water
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Clean the pork shoulder and pat dry
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Score the pork shoulder in a cross hatch on both sides or poke holes.
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Place the meat in a shallow baking dish large enough to comfortably hold with space around the pork.
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Combine garlic, oregano, spices salt and pepper, cilantro, vinegar and sofrito.
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Rub the mixture all over the meat working it on all sides top and bottom and making sure it gets in the slithers. If you have time cover with foil and refrigerate over night.
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Bring the pork out to room temperature about 1 hour. Pre heat the oven at 300 degrees. Bake the pork for 3 hours then remove foil and cook forn another 3 hours. Pork must be tender and fall off the bone.
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For crispy skin put the oven to 400 degree and allow skin to get crispy.
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Optional: add freshly squeezed lime and orange juice for best flavor.
Arroz Con Gandules
Recipe by Chef Kelvin Fernandez, executive chef, Winner on Beat Bobby Flay & 30 under 30.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Yield 8-10 servings
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/3 cup of bacon slab dice (optional)
- 1/3 cup sofrito
- 3 cups chicken broth or water
- 1 ½ tsp sazon con achiote y culantro
- 1 cube chicken bouillon
- 1/3 cup tomato sauce
- 1 tsp dried or fresh oregano chopped
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons of olives pimenton stuffed
- 1 15 oz can of pigeon peas drained and rinsed
- 2 cups parboiled rice
- Heat the caldero or Dutch oven to medium heat
- Add olive oil and bacon diced add sofrito and stir constantly, about 4 minutes
- Next add sazon, tomato sauce, chicken bouillon, stir to combine.
- Add the guandules, spices and seasoning, bay leaves, olives, cilantro and chicken stock.
- Bring to a boil. Now is your chance to taste and add salt you want this liquid to be perfectly seasoned.
- Once the mixture is seasoned and boiling add the rinsed rice. Give a great stir
- Cover and allow rice to absorb all the visible liquid.
- Stir the rice one last time and cover and bring flame to low heat. Allow the rice to steam for 20-25 minutes.
- Fluff rice, serve with your pernil and enjoy.