This is a whole roast suckling pig cooked over an open fire-still a popular dish in Puerto Rico, but less accessible to home cooks working with an oven.
You need a pork shoulder with the bone in and skin on. The bone keeps the meat extra tender, and the skin is crisped up at the end for a crunchy, almost crackling like garnish.
However, pernil de cerdo is cooked to much higher temperatures to achieve that buttery, tender texture. Your roast will be ready when it has reached around 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
Pernil de cerdo is marinated the day before roasting. Most marinades incorporate sofrito, a blend of aromatics like onions, garlic, carrots, and peppers sauteed slowly in olive oil.
Puerto Rican recipes incorporate adobo, oregano, and some kind of citrus. Our recipe omits the adobo but does benefit from a good squeeze of lime and fresh thyme and rosemary.