Cochinita pibil

Ingredients

• Pork shoulder — in large pieces2.5 kg
• Achiote paste100 g
• Oranges4
• Grapefruit2
• Limes2
• Garlic8 clove
• Mexican oregano1 tbsp
• Ground cumin1 tsp
• Banana leaves6
• Red onions — for pickling3
• Habanero2
• Corn tortillas16
• Salt and pepperto taste

Salt and spices grow more slowly than the rest: doubling a dish does not double the pepper.

Weight converts to ounces and volume to cups. Grams of flour are not turned into cups, because that depends on how tightly it is packed.

Method

1. 1

   Slake the achiote paste with the juice of two oranges, the grapefruit and the lime to a thin slurry.

   10 min

2. 2

   Add the crushed garlic, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper and mix it smooth.

   6 min

3. 3

   Coat the pork in the marinade, working it in by hand, and refrigerate overnight.

   12 min

4. 4

   Pass the banana leaves over a flame and line a deep dish with them, overlapping and with an overhang.

   12 min

5. 5

   Put in the pork with its marinade, fold the leaves over and seal the dish with two layers of foil.

   8 min

6. 6

   Bake at 150 °C for four hours without opening it.

   245 min

7. 7

   Pickle the sliced red onion with the habanero in the juice of the remaining oranges. Shred the meat and serve with tortillas.

   20 min

About the dish

The achiote comes as recado rojo, a block of annatto seed paste with spices. It supplies both the colour and the earthiness, and annatto powder does not replace it.

Sour orange, naranja agria, is replaced by a mix of juices: two oranges, one grapefruit, one lime. The proportions are chosen so the acidity matches.

The pib — a pit of heated stones — is replaced by a low oven and a tight wrapping. Four hours at 150 °C give the same texture, falling apart into threads.

Worth knowing

• — The marinade works from eight hours. Two hours give colour alone, and the difference in flavour is immediately noticeable.
• — The leaves overlap with no gaps. Escaped steam means dry meat and a scorched bottom.
• — The pickled onion is part of the dish, not a garnish. Its acidity is needed against fatty pork, and in Yucatán it is never served without it.

Nutrition

Per serving at the base yield, calculated from the ingredients rather than measured in a lab.

Calories

680 kcal

Protein

46 g

Fat

38 g

Carbs

36 g

More from Mexico

• Guacamole — Avocado, lime, onion and chilli crushed with a fork. No blender and no sour cream: both turn it into a dip rather than guacamole.
• Tacos al pastor — Pork in a marinade of dried chillies and pineapple, seared to caramelised edges, in a corn tortilla.
• Chiles rellenos — Poblano peppers stuffed with cheese in an airy egg batter, fried and served under tomato sauce.