Mexico · Mexican cuisine of Yucatán
Cochinita pibil
Pork marinated in achiote and sour orange, wrapped in banana leaves and slow-cooked until it falls apart, served shredded in warm tortillas with bright pink pickled onions and a spark of habanero.
Cookhuddle Editorial Cookhuddle | Mexico
Editorial selection: recipes cross-checked against several documentary sources. They have not been tested in our kitchen: follow the precautions given and adapt times to your own oven.
translation Translated from Spanish. Translation by Cookhuddle Editorial. Read the original
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- Servings
- 10
- Preparation
- 40 min
- Cooking
- 210 min
- Resting
- 720 min
- Total
- About 970 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
Cuisine / tradition: Mexican cuisine of Yucatán (MX) — declared by the author
- Main dish
- Slow-cooked
- Celebration
Ingredients
For 10 servings
- 1 1/2 kg pork shoulder or leg with some fat, in 6 cm pieces
- 500 g pork ribs or fatback (papada), in pieces
- 100 g achiote paste
- 240 ml sour orange juice (or 120 ml orange and 120 ml lime juice)
- 120 ml white or apple cider vinegar
- 4 clove garlic cloves, roasted
- 1 tsp whole cumin seeds
- 1 tsp allspice berries
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1 piece small cinnamon stick
- 1 1/2 tbsp coarse salt
- 50 g pork lard
- 3 piece large banana leaves
- 2 piece red onions, thinly sliced, for the pickle
- 2 piece habanero chiles, finely chopped, for the pickle
- 180 ml sour orange juice, for the pickle
- 1 tsp dried oregano, for the pickle
- 1 tsp fine salt, for the pickle
- 20 piece small corn tortillas, to serve
Method
- Step 1. Toast the cumin, allspice and cinnamon in a dry pan over low heat for 1 minute, until fragrant.⏱ 1 min
- Step 2. Blend the achiote paste, roasted garlic, toasted spices, ground cloves, oregano, coarse salt, sour orange juice and vinegar for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth.⏱ 3 min
- Step 3. Put the pork pieces in a non-metallic dish, coat them thoroughly with the marinade, cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight (12 hours).
- Step 4. Wash and dry the banana leaves and pass them for a few seconds over a flame, on both sides, until they turn glossy and pliable.
- Step 5. Heat the oven to 160 °C. Line a large, deep baking dish with foil, then with the banana leaves, letting them hang over the sides. Add the pork with all its marinade, dot with the lard, fold the leaves over the meat and seal tightly with the foil.
- Step 6. Bake for 3 hours 30 minutes, until the meat falls apart with a fork.⏱ 210 min
- Step 7. Meanwhile, make the pickle: mix the red onions, habaneros, sour orange juice, oregano and salt and leave at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, until the onion turns bright pink.⏱ 30 min
- Step 8. Open one end of the package and shred the meat in its juices with two forks. Serve hot on warm tortillas with the pickled onion, with refried black beans and more habanero to taste.
Story and cultural note
Cochinita pibil is a dish of the Yucatán Peninsula. Its essentials, according to the sources, are achiote, sour orange juice and banana leaves, which give it its flavour, colour and aroma. In its traditional form the pork is cooked in a pib, an underground earth oven; cooking it in a domestic oven, as in this recipe, is an adaptation of the pib, and a covered pot is another home version. The usual accompaniments are fresh corn tortillas, Yucatecan refried black beans, pickled red onion and a habanero salsa. Recipes differ widely on the quantity of achiote (from 75 to 200 g), the cut of pork and the cooking method.
Tips for success
Marinate overnight so that the achiote and the sour orange go deep into the meat. Wrap tightly in banana leaves and foil: the pork cooks in its own steam and juices. If you cannot find sour orange, mix orange and lime juice in equal parts. Do not skip the pickled onion: its acidity balances the rich pork.
Serving and presentation
Bring the opened package to the table, shred the meat in its juices, and serve in warm corn tortillas with the pink pickled onion, habanero salsa and black beans, with lime wedges.
Diet and allergens
Information declared by the author. CookHuddle does not verify or certify it. If you have an allergy, check the ingredients yourself.
DietGluten-freeDairy-freeEgg-freeNut-free
Containsnone declared
May contain traces ofSulphites
