Brazilian-Inspired Pernil and a Punny Ride #MoviesandMunchies

 

This month the Movies and Munchies group is watching The Jungle Cruise, hosted by Kelley of Simply Inspired Meals. You can read her invitation here. 

Unlike Kelley, I didn't grow up going to Disneyland. I mean, I have been to Disneyland, but I don't love crowds and I am not a huge fan of rides. I don't think my husband has ever been to Disneyland! That doesn't mean we deprived our boys, however; they have been several times with my parents. This is from one of their trips there, in 2013, I think...

And they told me that they liked the animatronics on the Jungle Cruise ride. In fact, the photo below might actually be from the ride. Anyone? In any case, this was from their trip in 2011. So, it's been awhile.

On the Screen

image from disneyplus (how I watched the movie!)

I wasn't expecting too much when we started the movie. I mean, it's a movie based on a ride, right? That's kind of like movies based on a game. Looking at you, Clue or Battleship. Not too impressive. Then we sat down to watch the movie and I thoroughly enjoyed it! 

Botanist Dr. Lilly Houghton, played by Emily Blunt, ventures to the Amazon - this is circa 1916 - with her brother MacGregor, played by Jack Whitehall, to find the legendary Lágrimas de Cristal where a tree of life has petals with magical power. Lilly wants the petals to cure disease and help humanity! They hire Frank "Skipper/Skippy" Wolff, played by Dwayne Johnson, to guide them on their journey. Frank's day-job is to ferry tourists along the river and we see him making cheesy jokes along the way.

Add in a four-century old conquistador, a German prince with a submarine, an Italian river mafioso, and some Amazonian "booga-booga nonsense." This is a light-hearted comedy that is hard to resist.

On the Plate

I was inspired to make a Brazilian-inspired pernil. I thought: Amazon plus citrus, harkening back to Frank's orange puns. He quips to his customers: "Before this job I worked in an orange juice factory. Got canned. Couldn’t concentrate. They put the squeeze on me too."

Ingredients 

• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped
• 5 sprigs fresh rosemary
• zest and juice from 2 organic oranges plus four more oranges for roasting
• zest and juice from 2 organic limes plus two more limes for roasting
• 10 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground paprika
• freshly ground salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 4 to 5 rib standing pork roast

Procedure

Blend all of the herbs and olive oil until a smooth puree forms. Pour that into a large pot - I used my Dutch oven - whisk together all of the remaining ingredients except the pork and whole oranges and limes for roasting. Massage the marinade into the pork. Let marinate overnight, turning the meat once or twice to fully coat the surface.

The next day, let the meat and pot come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Nestle halved oranges and limes around the roast. Cover and place in the oven. Roast the pork, covered, for 30 minutes, until lightly browned. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and roast for another 90 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 30 minutes before slicing.

I served the roast with mole negro (like this one) and steamed coconut rice.

That's a wrap for my April #MoviesandMunchies offering. Next month we'll be watching Servant of the People highlighting President Zelensky. But before we get to that, here are some of the other bloggers' creations for The Jungle Cruise...

The Jungle Cruise Tiger Cake by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Tears of the Moon Cocktail by Eliot's Eats

Tears of the Moon/Pink Pitaya Coconut Cooler by Magical Ingredients

Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork) by Amy's Cooking Adventures

Stay tuned from some Ukranian recipes next month. I can't wait!