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Cochinita pibil
Cochinita pibil yucateca — achiote and bitter-orange pork slow-roasted in banana leaves, with pickled red onion
The Maya of the Yucatán peninsula cooked pork in a pib, a pit lined with hot stones, and in Mérida cochinita pibil is still sold at dawn from market stalls, piled into tacos and tortas for breakfast. Pork shoulder sits overnight in a brick-red paste of achiote and sour orange juice, then roasts slowly wrapped in banana leaves until it pulls apart, soaking in its own tangy juices. It goes into warm tortillas with bright pink pickled onions and, for the brave, a habanero salsa. Chef's tip: if you can't find bitter Seville oranges, mix sweet orange juice with lime juice; the sourness is what tenderises and balances the pork.
- Total time
- 270 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the pork
For the pickled onions
To serve
Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Crumble 3 ½ oz achiote (annatto) paste into a bowl and mash it with 1 cup bitter (Seville) orange juice until smooth, then stir in 5 cloves garlic, ½ tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano, ½ tsp ground allspice, ½ tsp ground black pepper and 2 tsp salt. Achiote stains everything, so use a glass or steel bowl.
5 minStep 2: Turn 3 ½ lb boneless pork shoulder in the marinade until every piece is coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. Common mistake: skipping the long marinade. The sour juice needs time to flavour and soften the meat.
5 minStep 3: Make the pickled onions: pour boiling water over 2 red onions, leave 1 minute and drain. Toss with ½ cup lime juice (or bitter orange juice), 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp dried Mexican oregano and 1 habanero chilli if using. Chill for at least 1 hour; they turn bright pink.
5 minStep 4: Heat the oven to 325°F (275°F fan). Pass each 3 large banana leaves quickly over a gas flame or through hot water until it turns glossy and pliable, so it doesn't crack.
5 minStep 5: Line a deep roasting dish or casserole with the leaves, overlapping and hanging over the sides. Pour in the pork and all the marinade, fold the leaves over to make a parcel, and cover tightly with foil or a lid.
5 minStep 6: Roast for 3½–4 hours, until the pork falls apart when pressed with a fork. If it resists, give it another 30 minutes.
225 minStep 7: Open the parcel carefully (hot steam) and let the pork rest for 15 minutes in its juices. Shred it with two forks right in the dish and stir it round so it soaks up the red juices.
15 minStep 8: Pile the pork into 16 warm corn tortillas with the pickled onions. Leftovers keep for 3 days in the fridge; reheat covered until piping hot.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cochinita pibil take?
- About 270 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 240 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of ground cumin?
- Cumin seeds, toasted and ground.
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