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2026-09-02
Employee Spotlight
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Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month - Recipes



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September is Hispanic Heritage Month and to celebrate we want to share some delicious recipes from our team for you to enjoy! 

Puerto Rican-Style Arroz Amarillo y Pernil (Puerto Rican rice with roast pork) submitted by Justo 
For Hispanic Heritage Month, I wanted to share a dish that feels like home, celebration, and family all on one plate: Puerto Rican-style arroz amarillo y pernil. The rice is golden, savory, and full of flavor, and the oven-roasted pernil is juicy, garlicky, and tender with that delicious roasted crust everyone fights over.

Why I Love It
I love eating arroz amarillo y pernil because it brings back the warmth of family gatherings, the smell of food cooking all day, and the joy of everyone coming together around the table. In our family, pernil was our “bird” at the Thanksgiving dinner table… the centerpiece we looked forward to just like other families looked forward to turkey. It was crispy, flavorful, and made with love, and it always reminded us of who we are and where we come from.

Pernil Instructions
  1. Pat the pork shoulder dry and make deep slits all over the meat so the seasoning can get inside.
  2. Mix the garlic, adobo, sazón, oregano, pepper, cumin, olive oil, vinegar, citrus juice, and sofrito into a paste.
  3. Rub the seasoning paste all over the pork, pushing it into the slits. For the best flavor, cover and refrigerate overnight.
  4. When ready to cook, let the pork sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
  5. Place the pork in a roasting pan, skin-side up. Cover tightly with foil and roast for about 4 to 5 hours, or until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily.
  6. Remove the foil, raise the oven temperature to 400°F, and roast for another 30 to 45 minutes to brown and crisp the outside.
  7. Let the pernil rest for 20 minutes before slicing or shredding.

Arroz Amarillo Instructions
  1. Rinse the rice until the water runs mostly clear, then drain well.
  2. In a medium pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the sofrito and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.
  3. Stir in the rice, sazón, adobo, olives or pigeon peas if using, and bay leaf.
  4. Add the chicken broth or water and bring to a boil.
  5. Once boiling, stir once, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes.
  6. Turn off the heat and let the rice sit covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving
 
Justo Sepulveda PortraitAs a member of our Residential Lending team, Justo is here to help guide you through the mortgage process and can assist clients in both English and Spanish.