Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder Pernil

Pernil is a slow cooked pork roast (in this case a shoulder). It is a classic Puerto Rican dish, and also a classic dish in the Dominican Republic, though unsurprisingly there are small differences that mean a lot. There are Cuban versions, too. This one borrows from Puerto Rican influences to deliver a succulent, beautifully-seasoned slow cooked piece of pork that will make your mouth water.

You will need a slow cooker for this recipe.

1 pork shoulder

14 garlic cloves(we're shooting for around 2 cloves per pound of pork, so feel free to adjust accordingly. This amount works for the pork shoulders in the pantry)

1 ½ tbsp kosher salt(different from table salt - coarse and less refined, so not as dense. If you substitute table salt, you're going to want just about 1 tbsp)

½ tbsp freshly ground black pepper(alternatively, use the regular ground black pepper)

1 tbsp dried oregano

¼ cup olive oil

The Garlic Paste

Using a mortar and pestle, a food processor, or some other tool, combine the garlic cloves and salt until a chunky paste forms.

Add in the ground black pepper, dried oregano, and olive oil

Mix it all up together. If it becomes too dry, add a bit more oil

The Marinating Massage

Prepare the shoulder by poking it with a knife on all sides so that it's got a bunch of slits for your garlic paste to enter.

Take the garlic paste and slather the entire shoulder with it, working it into all of the slits. Don't be afraid to use your hands!

Now it's time to let it marinate. Ideally it can marinate overnight, but an hour is fine too.

The (slow) Cooking

Set it to cook on low for 10-12 hours, or on high for 6-7 hours, until the meat falls apart.

Once ready, it should be extremely tender and ready to be shredded. Remove it from the slowcooker to do just that, and serve over rice (preferably with black or kidney beans). Enjoy!

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Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder Pernil