I just love Mexican food— I mean, who doesn’t?! In Los Angeles, we’re spoiled silly with some of the most amazing Mexican food in the States and access to a wide range of Mexican produce. However, what tends to make it up north into the sprawling mega malls so frequented by the majority of Americans are dishes like enchiladas and tostadas, which can be delicious, but not what Mexican food is all about.
Cochinita pibil is a great example of a regional dish in Mexico that isn’t commonly found in the States. It comes from the Yucatan Peninsula, the tail of Mexico that separates the clear turquoise waters of the Caribbean from the tranquil waters of the Gulf. Cochinita pibil is slow roasted pork covered in a marinade of sour oranges and achiote paste, a red mixture of spices and annatto seed. Traditionally, it’s wrapped in banana leaves and buried underground over coals to roast for hours (the word pibil in the Mayan language means “buried”). A more common and less labor intensive method is cooking it low and slow in a dutch oven or in a slow cooker until the meat is succulent and falling off the bone. Eat it with warm corn tortillas, pickled red onions, fiery habanero salsa, a cold beer and I swear, you can practically smell the briny sea air and feel the warm powdery sand between your toes…
(image from here)
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