Spanish Pork Shoulder

I love Pork Shoulder, and no one can make a better pork than the Spanish. When I wanted Shoulder I would get in the car and head to Grand Avenue in New Haven Ct. to El Coqui Restaurant or Frog Hollow in Hartford Ct. to the Spanish neighborhoods or run down to 3rd avenue in Spanish Harlem in New York City. These places are easy to find, just look for the giant steamed up windows with yellow heat lights blazing away behind them and menus painted on the glass. Items like Papas Rellenas (Potato Balls), Chicharron, Pollo Frito (Fried Chicken), Morcilla, Chuchifritos, Arroz con gandules, and Empanadas.

No matter where I went I could find nowhere else that cooks pork with this taste. Then a restaurant opened in New London, Ct. called Tienda de delicatessen del cerdo or The Pork Deli. No more having to travel forever. Well, after a year or so the owner sold the property and they were no more, but he gave me the recipe.

Olive Oil 1 - Pork Shoulder

Chopped Garlic - Garlic Cloves

Salt (Kosher rock)

Black Pepper - Adobe with Pepper (Goya)

Mix the olive oil, Adobe, salt and chopped garlic together in a bowl

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You will notice there are no measurments here, he said he mixed them by sight and never used measureing devices. I have found that you can play with these and no matter what you do you will get the correct taste. You can prepare it using as much or as little of each as you wish depending on whether you want it garlicy, salty or peppery.

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Place the shoulder on a cutting board and using a sharp knife stab it repeatedly hard to the bone.

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Carefully carve the skin away from the fat layer pealing it back as you go. DO NOT CUT ALL THE WAY OFF. When the skin is folded back, use the knife and remove the loose fat layer from the meat.

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With the skin still pealed back, sprinkle black pepper acoss all meat surfaces. Place garlic cloves into each stab hole and push in as far as possible. Rub the entire surface of the meat and the skin with the oil/spice mix you made.

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Stretch the skin back over the meat and pin in place.

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Place in oven overnite, for 8 hours at 200 degrees.

I usually place it in at 10pm until 6am.

The slow cooking allows the spices to penetrate the meat.

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After 8 hours turn heat up to 450(broil) for 1 hour to crisp the skin.

If skin begins to burn reduce heat slowly.

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Allow to cool and pull the pork off the bone, the restaurants will usually serve this over Aroz con Gandules which is yellow Spanish rice with green pigeon peas.

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klay