Bake & Roast

1. To make mojo, puree garlic, adobo spice blend, oil, pepper, oregano, and sazon spice blend in a food processor until mostly smooth, scraping down sides as needed; set aside.

2. Working your way from one side of the pork shoulder to the other and without removing skin completely, use a sharp knife to separate skin from meat, lifting skin back with your free hand as you go. (Leave any fat attached to skin and/or meat - it will help keep pork moist while it cooks.) Make several 1"-deep slits in meat, then spread mojo into slits and over top and sides of meat. Place skin back over meat and transfer to a roasting pan. Refrigerate, uncovered, overnight.

3. When ready to cook, remove pork from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes. Meanwhile, place a rack in lower-middle of oven and heat to 350 degrees.

4. Roast pork until skin is browned, meat is very tender, and thickest part of shoulder registers 180 degrees, 3 to 4 hours. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees and continue to cook until skin is extremely crispy and fat beneath it is very tender, 15 to 20 minutes. (To test if the cuerito, or crispy skin, is ready, give it a gentle knock; it should sound hollow, like you're knocking on a tiny door.)

5. Transfer pork to a cutting board and let rest 30 minutes, then slice or shred meat and cut cuerito into small pieces before serving.

Source: Hannaford fresh Magazine, December 2021