Cochinita Pibil
Few who travel to the Yucatán Peninsula leave without trying cochinita pibil—pulled pork cooked underground in a pibil (earth oven), seasoned to perfection, and often served in tortillas. This dish represents the deep Mayan roots of their culture. When Spanish conquistadores arrived, they brought pigs with them. The Maya soon applied their indigenous techniques to season and cook this new animal, which they named with a blend of Spanish and Mayan language: cochinita pibil.
The people of the Yucatán prize this recipe, which allows for no variations. This dish is bursting with flavor and filled with the love of the Yucatán.
Ingredients
| 7 to 8 pounds | Pork shoulder (Boston butt or picnic), trimmed of fat |
| 1 rack | Baby back pork ribs |
| 1 | Cinnamon stick |
| 1 tablespoon | Whole allspice berries |
| 1 tablespoon | Peppercorns |
| 1/2 teaspoon | Whole cloves |
| 2 cups | Water |
| 2 | Ancho chiles |
| 1 (3.5-ounce) | Package achiote (annatto) paste |
| 10 to 12 | Garlic cloves |
| 1 tablespoon | Ground cumin |
| 1 1/2 tablespoons | Dried oregano |
| 3 | Bay leaves |
| 5 tablespoons | Salt |
| 1 (20-ounce) | Bottle naranja agria (bitter orange marinade) |
| 1/4 cup | Apple cider vinegar |
| - | Banana leaves |
| 4 cups | Water or broth |
| 20 | Corn tortillas |
Makes 20 servings.
Steps
Cut the roast into chunks roughly the size of your hand. Cut the rack of ribs into 2- to 3-rib sections. Set aside.
Heat a large frying pan on medium-high heat. Toast the cinnamon, allspice, peppercorns, and cloves for about 2 to 3 minutes, until they become fragrant. Place them in a blender. Pour the water into the heated pan and bring it to a boil. Add the dried chiles and cook them until they are soft—about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the chiles from the water and remove the seeds. Add about 1⁄4 cup of the cooking water to the blender.
Add the chiles, achiote paste, garlic cloves, cumin, oregano, bay leaves, salt, naranja agria, and apple cider vinegar to the blender. Blend the mixture on high until it is smooth. Place the meat in a large bowl and cover it with the marinade from the blender. Mix until the meat is fully coated in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate the meat overnight.
To cook the meat, heat the oven to 300°F. Line a large, high-walled roasting pan with banana leaves. Put down the first layer with the leaves stretching across the pan. The leaves should overlap a bit. Put down a second layer of leaves perpendicular to the first. Place the marinated meat in the pan. Add all the remaining marinade and water or broth. The meat should be mostly covered. Place one more layer of banana leaves over the top of the meat. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and put it in the oven for 6 to 7 hours.
Shred the cooked meat with two forks. Do not over-shred; break the meat down into bite-sized chunks to maintain texture. Stir the meat into the juices at the bottom of the pan. Serve the meat on fresh, warm corn tortillas.