This Venezuelan Pernil is flavorful and so juicy and tender! Discover how to make this guest-worthy main dish without slaving over.
When the holidays arrive, it’s time to start planning my Venezuelan Pernil!
This succulent piece of meat is a holiday staple in Venezuela. It’s served with Hallacas (Venezuelan tamales), Pan de Jamón (Venezuelan ham, olive, and raisins stuffed bread), and Ensalada de Gallina (potato and chicken salad).
Venezuelan Pernil is juicy, tremendously tender, and tastes ridiculously delicious.
But to be honest, Pernil wasn’t always my first option when it came to holiday dishes because it took such a long time and effort to make. I mean, like 4 to 6 hours, depending on how big the pork is, of roasting and basting. That is why I got so excited when I discovered that I can prepare Pernil without slaving over.
How? Using an oven bag!!
Oh. Em. Gee. I do not know why it took me so long to discover this trick. It cuts the cooking time significantly. Plus, the bag traps in moisture and natural juices to keep food from drying out, so it comes out juicy and tender.
This incredibly savory and guest-worthy dish, Pernil, will make your taste buds dance.
Ingredients You’ll Need, Substitutions & Notes
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
- 1 (8 – 10 lb) whole bone-in skinless pork shank (pork ham)
- Salt and black pepper
- Cola soda
- Beer
- One oven bag – Optional but highly recommended. I use Reynolds® Oven Bag.
For the Marinade:
- Vegetable oil
- Orange juice
- Lime juice
- Worcestershire sauce
- Garlic
- Onion
- Fresh oregano
- Fresh rosemary
- Bay leaf
How To Make Venezuelan Pernil
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
Step 1 – Prepare The Pork
Wash the pork and pat the meat dry with a paper towel. Then, use the knife to poke 1-inch-deep holes into the meat on all sides. Rub salt and pepper generously all over the pork, working it into the punctures. Set aside.
Step 2 – Marinate
Combine oil, orange juice, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and onion in a blender and blend until finely chopped. Place pork in a large Ziplock bag. Add marinade, oregano, rosemary, and bay leaf. Place in the fridge overnight.
Step 3 – Bake
Remove the pork from the refrigerator 1 hour before you start cooking.
Preheat oven to 350º F (arrange racks in the middle). Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil for easier cleanup. Bake the pernil until the thickest part reaches an internal temperature of 150°F, about 2 1/2 hours.
Then, pour the cola soda and beer over the pork and return to the oven to roast for a further 30 – 45 minutes, basting the pork with juices 2 -3 times, or until the pork reaches 160°F in the thickest part.
Step 4 – Rest and Slice
Remove pork onto a serving platter, cover loosely with foil, and let it rest for 20 minutes before slicing.
Step 5 – Serve
Strain all the juices through a fine-mesh strainer to remove fat, herbs, and bay leaf. If you want to thicken the sauce, place it in a saucepan and simmer on medium-high for 5 minutes or until it reduces to a syrupy consistency. To thicken even more, you can add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of water.
Recipe Tips
Ask your butcher to trim off as much fat as possible from the pork.
Cooking times will vary somewhat depending on the size of the pork and your oven, so using a meat thermometer is highly recommended.
Storage and Freezing Instructions
Leftover Pernil can be refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen in a freezer-safe container for 3 months.
I love using leftover Pernil loin to make sandwiches or to fill arepas.
Try These Venezuelan Recipes Next!
Venezuelan Pernil
Equipment
Important
• For best results, I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 (8 – 10 lb) whole bone-in skinless pork shank (pork ham)
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 large oven bag (optional)
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) cola soda
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) beer (any beer will work)
Marinade:
- ½ cup (120 ml) canola or vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) orange juice
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) lime juice
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) Worcestershire sauce
- 15 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 fresh sprigs oregano
- 2 fresh sprigs rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Pat the pork dry with a paper towel. Then, use the knife to poke 1-inch deep holes into the meat on all sides. Rub salt and pepper generously all over the pork, working it into the punctures. Set aside.
- Combine oil, orange juice, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and onion in a blender and blend until finely chopped.
- Place pork in a large ziplock bag. Add marinade, oregano, rosemary, and bay leaf. Place in the fridge overnight.
- Remove the pork from the refrigerator 1 hour before you start cooking.
- Preheat oven to 350º F (180º C). Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil for easier cleanup.
- If using the oven bag: Shake 1 tablespoon of flour inside the Reynolds® Oven Bag and place it in the roasting pan. Carefully place the pork and the marinade into the bag, making sure the bag's opening faces the end of the roasting pan, and not facing up. The bag should be inside the pan, not hanging over the pan's edges—close the oven bag with the included nylon tie.
- If you are not using an oven bag: Place the pork and marinade in a roasting pan.
- Bake for 2 to 2 ½ hours, or until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 150°F in the thickest part.
- If using an oven bag, remove the roasting pan from the oven, cut open the top of the bag, and carefully remove it. If not, go to the next step.
- Pour the cola soda and beer over the pork and return to the oven to roast for a further 30 – 45 minutes, basting the pork with juices 2 -3 times, or until the pork reaches 160°F in the thickest part.
- Remove pork onto a serving platter, cover loosely with foil, and let it rest for 20 minutes before slicing.
- Strain all the juices through a fine-mesh strainer to remove fat, herbs, and bay leaf. If you want to thicken the sauce, place it in a saucepan and simmer over medium-high heat for 5 – 8 minutes or until it reduces down to a syrupy consistency. To thicken even more, you can add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon of water to the sauce.
- Cut meat from the bone. Serve and pan juices.
- Ask your butcher to trim off as much fat as possible from the pork.
- Cooking times will vary somewhat depending on the size of the pork and your oven, so using a meat thermometer is highly recommended.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored recipe as a Reynolds Kitchen ambassador. However, all opinions expressed are my own as always. Thank you, though, for supporting them and the other brands which help make this site possible.
Originally posted September 2016, post content edited to add more helpful information, no change to the recipe in December 2021.
When taking the pork out of the bag and putting into the pan, do you include the marinade too? Or just the pork and then the beer and cola?
Hello Jim! When transferring the pork to the pan, I add it together with the marinade. Some people hesitate to use marinades, but in this case, the marinade cooks fully along with the pork, reaching the same temperature and destroying any bacteria. What’s important is that the marinade is not used raw — once it simmers and cooks through, it becomes part of the sauce and adds great flavor and moisture. Then you’ll add the beer and cola as the recipe says. Everything cooks down together and creates that rich, delicious sauce at the end. Hope this helps!
I tried this recipe for my Venzuelan husband and it was alright but not the best. I followed the recipe to a T. There was a flavor I couldn’t pinpoint that I was not a big fan of – probably the beer (we used Victoria). We will be tweaking the recipe and making adjustments. I’ve had other pernil that was more like shredded carnitas texture whereas this recipe gives more of a “pork chop” texture. He liked it enough, but it was not the pernil flavor he is used to.
Hello Kara! Thanks so much for giving it a try and for sharing such thoughtful feedback — I really appreciate it.Pernil varies a lot from family to family, and the version you’re used to may have a very different seasoning profile and cooking method. The beer can definitely add a specific flavor, so if that wasn’t your favorite part, you can swap it for broth or even orange juice next time.
And you’re right about the texture: this version isn’t meant to shred like carnitas. If you prefer that fall-apart, super-tender, pulled texture, you can cook it longer and lower or finish it covered so it braises a bit more. I’m glad your husband still enjoyed it enough, and I love that you’re planning to tweak it to match the flavor he grew up with — that’s the beauty of these recipes. Happy Holidays!