Photo by Laura Murray, food styling by Yekaterina Boystova
Pernil without arroz con gandules is like turkey without stuffing—the arroz completes any holiday meal in the Greater Antilles (especially Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic). This Puerto Rican version uses many of the same ingredients from our pernil, with the addition of smoked ham hock. If you have more time, keep the ham hock simmering for another hour or longer for even more flavor and super-tender meat. We call for canned gandules because they’re easier to find, but if you can find frozen, use those; they will have better flavor and texture. Simply let them thaw before proceeding.
