So, for a pre-Father’s Day gathering the bourbon and tequila came out, so did the cigars and so did the cooking. Rain was not going to stop us from enjoying a wonderful meal despite it being entirely too wet out to attempt the BBQ. The pernil recipe is something my Dad had put together with Iberian friends that we’ve adapted here. It is, by no means, perfected, but you go with what’s available. The potatoes are something I put together from several recipes, it is, again, by no means meant to be “authentic” in any other way than what I’ve learned is some recipes come from what you can get fresh regularly. We had a joyful time cooking, and catching up on a way too short weekend to be what we are, a family, and really, nothing is better than a family spending time together. You know how a great meal like this really is great? One. Hours after everyone is still talking about it, not how ‘great it tasted’ but how much the ‘experience’ impacts them. Two. every distinct smell you cooked with comes back again and again and again, for hours on end after the last dish is put away. Three. You are still so adoring from how it felt you are inspired to do something like this… write it down! A couple of notes: Pork shoulder is the upper pork back on the bone, it may be called pork butt in some butcheries, not the butt is not the ass of the swine, it is the upper back, and that’s the piece you want. It is better if it comes with the fat and the skin included. Yes, I know, supposedly, fat is bad (but remember kiddies, fat IS flavor), and you’re probably used to me cooking low carb, low fat fish recipes, trust me, do this one right, please. You can do pulled pork in a slow cooker and replicate this recipe splendidly, no question, but would you want to, knowing that charred skin is waiting for you as a treat from under a broiler?

Pernil mojo
garlic
onion
pepper
cilantro
sour orange (naranja agria – though, fresh orange can work, zest skin squeeze juice keep separate)
pepper – black and white corns (lightly heated, coarsely ground)
cumin
paprika
olive oil
large mixing bowl

Finely dice the onion, pepper, garlic, cilantro.
Zest the orange skin, just the pulp and the dice up the left over pulp.
Combine all the above ingredients in a large mixing bowl along with the cumin, paprika
Toss with olive oil
Allow the ingreds to meld for a few hours in the fridge.

Pernil Recipe
Mojo
Pork Shoulder
baking dish

Lightly slit under the skin with a knife and slip your fingers between the fat and the flesh of the pork.
Once most of the skin and flesh are separated, massage the mojo in between.
Anywhere there is exposed flesh, create deep punctures in it with a knife and massage the mojo into the slits.
Place the pork in a bag with the rest of the mojo to marinate for several hours to a day.

Once the pork is marinated allow to come up to room temperature in a baking dish while your oven (or smoker or crock pot) preheats. You are looking for about 225-275 degrees tops.
Once the cooker is preheated, transfer the meat to the appropriate cooking vessel and allow to very slow cook for between 4-8 hours, until the internal temperature is about 185 degrees. Baste, as necessary and appropriate with the mojo, do not disturb the slow cook too often. Once maybe twice might be enough while checking the temperature.
During the last 5 minutes of cooking if under a broiler or if you have an open flame grill to transfer to, char the exterior skin over the high heat.

Patatas Mexicana Recipe
potatoes
cubanella peppers
jalapeno peppers
onion
garlic
Chroizo (charisse sausage, although linguisa will work too)
olive oil
broiler or grill
large skillet or fry pan

Char all of the pepper in the broiler. This is done by placing the peppers in high heat in the broiler, turning frequently, until the outer skin turns black. Place the blackened peppers in a bag, seal the bag and allow the peppers to steam themselves for a minute or two. This will help separate the skin from the flesh. Be very careful handling the peppers as they are very hot from broiling. Peel away the pepper skin and then coarsely chop the flesh. The charring is done to give the peppers a fuller and more rustic flavor, plus, it rids us of the tough skins.

Coarsely chop the onion and garlic
Slice the potato into thin rounds (crosswise circles so they look like potato chips)
Slice the charisse
Preheat the skillet with a bit of olive oil. It should be hot enough that the potato when they hit the oil begin to fry up immediately.
Add the potato, all the veggies and the charrisse to the skillet in that order.
Once everything hits the skillet, allow it to cook through to the point of becoming crispy on one side, then turn everything once to brown the other side.
If you do it right, you can probably remove the whole skillet worth as almost one large flavorful piece, serve on a platter garnished with fresh cilantro and serve it family style.

I like serving this with a warm three green salad and a corn salsa and some bread to sop up all the juices (there are some nice unleavened flat breads or corn bread to use, I’m not a bread maker so you’ll have to figure them out on your own)