The unique ingredient in cochinita pibil is annatto seed. It grows on the achiote tree and is a native spice to Mexico. It has a mild peppery flavor and is used as a red dye in things like cheddar cheese and margarine, similar to how turmeric is used to dye foods yellow. The Mayan used the annatto seed for food, face paint, and even insect repellent. Achiote paste, or achiote rojo, is a clay-like block of ground annatto seed and other spices and is readily available in Latin American supermarkets.
- 2 3.5 pounds of bone in pork shoulder (you can get a 7 pound one and just ask the butcher to slice it in half for you)
- 2 yellow onions, sliced thickly
- 1- 1.5 pound of banana leaves
- 1 head of garlic (around 10 cloves), roughly chopped
- 4 tbsps of achiote rojo
- 1 tbsp of dried Mexican oregano (you can also use regular oregano)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp of cloves
- 1 stick of cinnamon
- 1 cup of fresh-squeezed sour orange juice OR 3/4 cup of fresh-squeezed lime juice and 1/4 cup of fresh-squeezed orange juice
- kosher salt
- black pepper
*Invest in a lime squeezer as it will save you time and your fingers!
Day Before Prep
In a cast iron skillet roast the cumin, cloves and cinnamon until they start to give off their aroma (keep an eye on these since spices can burn easily). When they’ve cooled, put them into a spice grinder or coffee grinder and grind into a fine powder.
In a blender or food processor, process the garlic cloves until they’re finely minced. Then add the oregano, your spice mixture, the achiote rojo and sour orange juice (or lime and orange if you’re substituting). Blend together until it is a smooth mixture.
Score the fat side of your pork shoulder in large criss-cross, so the marinade can penetrate the meat. Season all sides of the pork liberally with kosher salt and black pepper. Place the pork into a large mixing bowl and pour the mixture over the pork, turning it so the marinade covers the meat. Cover well with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight.
Cooking the Pork
When you’re ready to roast the pork, take the pork out of the refrigerator and line a roasting pan with the banana leaves over lapping them in a cross shape.
Place the pork inside the pan and place the sliced onions on top of the pork and pour the marinade over it. Fold the leaves over the pork, creating a sort of package, by tucking the ends into the sides of the pan.
Then cover the whole thing with foil and roast it in the oven at 325 degrees for 4-5 hours or until the pork starts to easily fall apart.
Serve with pickled red onions, roasted habanero salsa and corn tortillas.
(Adapted from here)
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This looks like a great dish. I will be attempting to cook for my husbands birthday. I will let you know how it comes out. Thanks for the recipe.
I’m not crazy about pork, but after looking at your photos (especially that last shot), I want to make and eat this dish immediately!! I must make this for my girlfriend and her two daughters. Thank you!
I hope you do. It makes a whole lot of tacos so be prepared! You can also cut the recipe down in half. Please let us know how it turns out!
Those tacos look really tasty!
yea, i’m hungry now.
Food blogs tend to do that!
Cochinita traditionally is prepared underground, that is what pibil means in Mayan. While you can get a whole plate of it in a restaurant, or a taco in any taqueria, to eat it the “right” way you need to find a baguette the Yucatecos call a francés. It is a white crusty long roll that will absorb all sorts of juice from the meat without getting mushy. It will crunch with every bite. A torta de cochinita is the most typical Sunday morning breakfast you can find any where on the Peninsula.
Typically you have to leave the more touristy areas, and look for a sidewalk stand with a crowd around it. A woman is pulling meat by hand off a huge roast that has been slow cooking overnight and now sits on a table. Typically there is a lechon in the roasting pan next to it(try that with what Yucatecos call chitarra). Some people like cochinita maciza – that means just meat. Other people like it especial – that means with liver and any other internal organ meat the person picking can find. Then the question is whether the bread should be mojado or not. Say yes. They will dip the inside surface of the francés in the pan and sop up some of the flavor. The next question is, do you want picante? Say yes. A tiny little bit of habanero salsa liquid and three or four small pieces of habenero, a pinch of salt and you have a great sandwich. Try to eat just one.
My friend, you just made me VERY hungry! Not to mention daydream-y about Mexico…
Interesting, I have come by this post three times in the past few days. Maybe I’ll save it?
We coordinated today and we didn’t even know it! This looks amazing Karen – and your photos are really spectacular. I also wrote about the Yucatan Peninsula – in fact the drink – sangrita to go with tequila – would probably be a nice accompaniment for these tacos.
I have some achiote powder that I just haven’t had time to work with yet – guess I know what to do with it now.
Great job Karen. Wish I lived close enough to eat it with you…
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