Carne Adovada with Chispa Brillante®

Yield: Serves 8 to 10 

Ingredients

• One 7- to 8-pound fresh pork shoulder, skin on, bone-in
• 1 16 oz. jar Chispa Brillante Salsa/Cooking Sauce 

Directions

1. Place the pork in a large roasting pan skin side up. Pierce the skin of the pork—without going through to the meat—all over set aside. Pour Chispa Brillante Salsa/Cooking Sauce over the meat. Cover and place in refrigerator overnight. 
2. Day two, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. 
3. Remove pork from refrigerator. Cover with foil and place in the oven to roast for 5½ to 6 hours, basting frequently, until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 220 to 225 degrees, the skin is browned and crisp, and the meat is falling-off-the-bone tender. Let rest for 20 to 30 minutes before serving. To serve, remove the skin, pull the pork into large pieces, and serve with additional Chispa Brilliante. 

Notes

Temperatures for Cooking Pork: 

When cooking fresh pork (the term “fresh” is used to differentiate it from cured pork, or ham), take care not to overcook it. Chops and loins are quite lean, and will be dry and lacking in flavor if cooked too long. Trichinae are destroyed at 138 degrees, but to be on the safe side, most professional chefs serve pork between 145 and 150 degrees. The USDA recommends that pork prepared at home be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 to 165 degrees. Remember, however, that even after cooked pork is removed from the oven, it will continue to cook about 10 degrees as it rests. To avoid overcooking, we suggest that you remove the pork from the oven when a meat thermometer reaches 145 degrees in the thickest part. Then cover the pork loosely for 5 to 10 minutes. As it rests at room temperature, it will cook another 10 degrees, to 155 degrees. (For pork,155 to 160 degrees is considered medium; 170 to 180 degrees is considered well-done.) 

This pork may also be used to make tamales.