Pernil Assado

Step 1

Remove the pork leg from the refrigerator and place it on a large cutting board, skin-side up. Pat the skin completely dry with paper towels, pressing firmly all over until no moisture remains — dry skin will crackle better during roasting.

Step 2

Peel and mince the 20 garlic cloves until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice — about the size of pencil-tip dots — and place them in a small bowl.

Step 3

Add 4 tablespoons of kosher salt, 1 tablespoon of black pepper, 1 tablespoon of cumin, 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika, and 1 tablespoon of dried oregano to the minced garlic and stir with a fork until combined.

Step 4

Pour 0.5 cup of olive oil and 0.25 cup of fresh lime juice into the spice mixture and stir until it resembles wet sand.

Step 5

Using a sharp knife, score the pork skin in a crosshatch pattern by making cuts about 0.5 inches apart horizontally, then diagonally across, cutting through the skin and a thin layer of fat but not into the meat.

Step 6

Set the oven to 325°F and wait until the indicator light or beep tells you it has finished heating, about 10 minutes.

Step 7

Place the pork leg skin-side up in a large roasting pan (at least 16 inches long and 12 inches wide).

Step 8

Using your hands or a small spoon, rub the garlic-spice paste all over the meat side and the scored skin of the pork, pressing it into the cuts and covering every exposed surface.

Step 9

Pour 2 cups of beef broth into the bottom of the roasting pan (not over the pork) and add the 3 bay leaves to the liquid.

Step 10

Slide the roasting pan into the oven on the middle rack, uncovered. Roast for 4 to 4.5 hours, basting the meat (not the skin) with the pan juices every 45 minutes using a spoon, until the skin is deep golden-brown and crackles when you press it with a fork.

Step 11

If the skin has not crisped and darkened enough after 4 hours, increase the oven temperature to 450°F and roast for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, watching closely so it does not burn, until the skin is golden and crackly.

Step 12

Insert an instant-read meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, away from the bone. The pork is done when the thermometer reads 190°F or higher, indicating the meat is tender enough to shred.

Step 13

Remove the roasting pan from the oven and let the pork rest, uncovered, on the counter for 15 minutes before carving — this keeps the meat juicy.

Step 14

Transfer the pork leg to a large cutting board and, using a sharp carving knife and fork, slice the meat against the grain into 0.5-inch-thick pieces, separating sections along the natural seams where muscles meet.

Step 15

Peel away or break apart the crackled skin into bite-sized pieces and scatter them over the sliced meat.

Step 16

Strain the pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve into a serving bowl, discarding the bay leaves and any solids, and offer as a sauce alongside.