Recipe: Roast Pork Shoulder or Thigh (Puerto Rican Style)

ROAST PORK SHOULDER OR THIGH
(PERNIL DE CERDO)

1 (6-7) pounds pork shoulder or thigh
5 tsp. salt
5 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
1/2-tsp. ground dried oregano
3 TB olive oil
1 tsp. vinegar

Wash the pork thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels. With a sharp knife, separate without completely removing the pork skin ( leave the skin without separating at the narrow part of the shoulder or ham ). Move the skin back without separating it and, remove as much as possible of the fat. With the same sharp knife, make several incisions in it. Put salt in the incisions, in the fat and in all the skin. With a mortar and pestle, prepare a ground adobo with ground pepper, garlic cloves, ground oregano and 1 tb olive oil. Season the pork, its skin and into the slits with the Adobo. Combine the vinegar or sour orange with the remaining olive oil and rub into all the skin and meat. Refrigerate, covered, overnight. Very early in the morning, take the pork out of the refrigerator, and let it stand at room temperature for 2 hours. Preheat the oven at 300 F for at least 10 minutes. Put a small grill in a shallow big baking pan. Put the thigh with the skin side up. Skewer the skin with the skewers you use for the turkey. You will need at least 5 skewers. Pour the remaining marinade over the thigh. Bake for at least 3 1/2 hours at 300 F. without turning. Increase the temperature to 375, and bake for 30 minutes or until the skin is golden brown and toasted. If you have a meat thermometer, it will be ready at 185 F. Let it seat out from the oven for 30 minutes and serve.