Rocking Roast Pork Shoulder with Spanish Rice

This is a Latin feast in two acts: a pork shoulder slow-roasted until it shreds, and a pot of rice studded with pigeon peas. Tying it together is sofrito, a fragrant puree of green pepper, onion, and cilantro that flavors both the meat and the rice.

The pork gets seasoned to the bone. Cut a dozen slits across the shoulder and tuck a clove of garlic into each, then rub it down with sazon, adobo, and sofrito. Roasting it low and covered for hours melts it to fork-tender, and a final blast in a hot oven crisps the skin into crackling.

The rice has one cardinal rule: do not stir it. Once the rice, water, seasonings, and pigeon peas go in, leave it be. Stirring releases starch and turns the grains gummy, while leaving it alone gives you fluffy rice and that prized crispy layer on the bottom. Brown a little of the reserved pork in the pot first, and it carries that roasted flavor through every bite.

Chef Tips

• Stuff a clove of garlic into each slit in the pork so the flavor penetrates deep into the meat.
• Roast low and covered for tenderness, then uncover and crank the heat to crisp the skin into crackling.
• Do not stir the rice once it is cooking. Leaving it alone gives fluffy grains and a crispy bottom layer.

Variations

• Make a double batch of sofrito. It keeps in the fridge for over a week and flavors countless dishes.
• Add a splash of sour orange or lime juice to the pork rub for a brighter, more traditional mojo.
• Stir green olives or a little tomato sauce into the rice for extra color and flavor.