Instant Pot Puerto Rican Pernil (Pork Roast)

Green ceramic serving blowl full of Instant Pot Puerto Rican Pernil

5 from 3 votes

Instant Pot Puerto Rican Pernil (Pork Roast)

Instant Pot Puerto Rican Pernil is not the traditional method of preparing this signature meal centerpiece. This recipe packs in flavor and a fall-of-the-bone pork roast that you will not believe came from a pressure cooker.

Prep Time10

Cook Time2

Marinating Time8

Total Time10 10

Course: Main Course, puerto rican christmas recipes, Puerto Rican Inspirations

Cuisine: Puerto Rican

Calories: 6559kcal

Author: Zoe Morman

Equipment

1 Instant Pot

Ingredients

12 L Picnic-cut Pork Shoulder
10 Cloves Garlic
¼ Cup Mojo
1 tablespoon Adobo
1 tablespoon Sazon

Instructions

Using a sharp knife, score the skin of the roast into diagonal long cuts about one to one and a half inches apart. Once you have scored in one direction rotate the roast and score in the opposite direction to create a diamond pattern.
Begin to puncture the rest of the roast with the knife. Do not pierce through the skin.
Insert whole garlic cloves into the incisions you make with the knife.
If the roasts are small enough to fit inside a gallon ziplock bag, place them in them. If it is too large, place the roast in a large bowl or pan.
Pour enough mojo into the bag to cover. It is best to allow the roast to marinate overnight. If time is of the essence, allow at least one hour before cooking.
On the day of cooking, remove the roast from the bags or pans, and allow to drain any excess marinade. Once drained sprinkle them with Adobo and Sazon, and let the roasts rest on the counter for 30 minutes to an hour.
I find searing inside the Instant Pot a bit cumbersome, so I seared my roast on a cast iron skillet or large braiser. Once the fat cap and the roast had a nice golden color (about 30 minutes) I transferred the roasts to the instant pot inner pan. I took a cup of broth to deglaze the cast iron and pour the liquid into the Instant Pot with the roast.

Notes

Searing the Pork: Depending on the size of your roast, searing your meat in the Instant Pot could be a bit cumbersome. I opted to sear my roast on a skillet instead, deglazed the pan, and poured the deglazed liquid into the Instant Pot with the roast. For smaller roasts, you may choose to sear the meat inside the Instant Pot. For more reference on how to go about adjusting your temperatures for the Instant Pot, check out this post from Pressure Cooking Today.

Marinating the Meat: For larger pieces of meat, I like to marinate my meat for up to 24 hours if possible. Depending on the size I would marinate a bit longer. Puncturing the meat allows for the marinate to seep into the muscle easier however, it is good practice to turn your meat every four to six hours if possible. If not, at least once in between the allotted time for marination.

A Note on Acid: Acids can cook and over-tenderize the meat if allowed to marinate too long. If you think you will need to marinate your pork for longer than 24 hours, consider using a brine or mojo for the first half of the marinating process, draining it, and then rubbing it down with spices for the second half.

Excess Liquid: If you find that you have excess liquid, save some aside to use when making rice, especially beans. This liquid will bring your beans an enormous amount of flavor. You can also use it as a base in sauces. Make sure to remove any excess fat.

Nutrition