**Cochinita Pibil: A Journey into the Yucatán Peninsula's Culinary Heritage**
Cochinita pibil is a traditional Mexican dish originating from the Yucatán Peninsula, renowned for its succulent pulled pork slow-cooked in achiote (annatto) sauce. This rich and flavorful dish is often prepared in an underground oven called a "pib," giving it a unique smoky flavor. Our comprehensive guide provides two variations of this delectable dish: the traditional "Cochinita Pibil Yucateca" recipe, which offers an authentic taste of the Maya culture, and the "Cochinita Pibil en Olla" recipe, a modern adaptation cooked in a Dutch oven for greater convenience. Both recipes delve into the vibrant flavors of the Yucatán, showcasing the perfect balance of spices, citrus, and achiote. Prepare to embark on a culinary adventure as we uncover the secrets behind this iconic Mexican dish.
COCHINITA PIBIL RECIPE FROM YUCATáN
Out of all the dishes in the Yucatan Peninsula, I think this is the dish that is best known throughout the whole country. Cooked with Achiote and sour orange juice, the slow roasted pork meat was traditionally buried in a pit, hence the word "Pibil", meaning "buried" in Mayan.
Provided by Mely Martínez
Categories Pork
Time 2h45m
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Roast the banana leaf, if you bought it from the frozen section of the supermarket, wait until it is completely defrosted.
- To roast the banana leaf, place it directly over a medium hot fire of you gas stove, it will start changing color and getting some shiny while in contact with the fire. Make sure not to burn the leaves, we just want them to be pliable.
- Line your roasting pan with the oven bag and arrange the banana leaves overlapping as in the above picture. You can also use aluminum foil instead of the oven bag.
- In your blender, mix the Achiote (annatto) seasoning with the pepper and bitter orange juice. Add salt.
- Place the pork meat on the leaves. Pour the Achiote mixture over. And add the oil/lard to give it more flavor.
- Cover with the sliced onion and herbs. Fold the ends of the banana leaves over the pork.
- Close the oven bag and cut 3 or 4 slits according to packages instructions. If using aluminum foil wrap tightly . Add about 1 1/2 quarter of water to the roasting pan to create a steaming effect. One time, I forgot to add the water and it still came out great.
- Bake 2 1/2 hours in a preheated oven at 350 degrees. Add more water to the pan if needed.
- Remove roasting pan from oven and uncover the meat. The meat should be tender. If it isn't, cover and return to the oven for another 30 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 385 kcal, Carbohydrate 9 g, Protein 39 g, Fat 21 g, SaturatedFat 3 g, Cholesterol 107 mg, Sodium 85 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 6 g, ServingSize 1 serving
AUTHENTIC COCHINITA PIBIL (SPICY MEXICAN PULLED PORK)
A traditional Mexican dish without the work! I couldn't believe that something that good was SO easy to make. The achiote paste can easily be found at most Mexican grocery stores. Mouthwatering!!!!
Provided by gem
Categories World Cuisine Recipes Latin American Mexican
Time 6h55m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Combine the onion, habanero peppers, lime juice, and salt in a bowl; cover and refrigerate while preparing and cooking the pork. Use rubber gloves when preparing the habanero peppers and avoid touching your eyes, nose, or skin while slicing peppers.
- Place the guajillo peppers in a bowl; pour enough hot water over the peppers to cover. Allow to soak until the peppers are softened, about 10 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet at medium-high heat. Season pork with salt and pepper; cook in the hot oil until completely browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the pork to a slow cooker.
- Combine the guajillo peppers, orange juice, vinegar, garlic, and achiote paste in a blender; blend until smooth. Pour the sauce over the pork cubes in the slow cooker.
- Cook on High until the pork easily falls apart, 6 to 8 hours. Remove the pork to a serving dish and shred with 2 forks. Pour the achiote sauce over the shredded pork. To serve, top with the onion-habanero salsa.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 468 calories, Carbohydrate 39.6 g, Cholesterol 89.2 mg, Fat 24.9 g, Fiber 8.1 g, Protein 27.1 g, SaturatedFat 8.3 g, Sodium 368.5 mg, Sugar 13.3 g
PORK MIMI'S WAY, YUCATAN STYLE: COCHINITA PIBIL
Steps:
- Prepare marinade with the orange juice, vinegar, achiote, garlic, and salt, to taste, and mix thoroughly. Rub the mixture into the meat and marinate at room temperature for 1 hour, or refrigerated, for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
- Line a roaster pan with heavy foil and arrange the marinated pork in it, covering the meat with the marinade. Cover pan with foil tightly and bake for 2 to 3 hours. Check often and turn pieces of meat in their own juices. Roasting times vary according to the toughness of the meat.
- Chop meat into cubes and discard any fatty parts. Serve with a basket of freshly made corn tortillas.
SHREDDED PORK AND BEAN PANUCHOS WITH PICKLED HABANERO AND ONIONS (COCHINITA PIBIL)
Provided by Marcela Valladolid
Categories main-dish
Time 6h50m
Yield 10 servings
Number Of Ingredients 22
Steps:
- For the pulled pork: Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and slightly softened, about 2 more minutes. Add the achiote paste and mix well to incorporate. Add the orange and pineapple juices and bring to a boil. Once it boils, turn the heat off and carefully transfer to a blender. Cool. Process the mixture until smooth, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
- Sprinkle the pork butt heavily with salt and pepper on all sides. Arrange the orange skins on the bottom of a slow cooker, skin-side up (this adds more flavor to the pork and ensures the meat will not dry out). Place the pork butt on top of the oranges. Pour the achiote puree inside the slow cooker. Cover the slow cooker and turn on to high heat. Let it cook until the pork is tender and ready to shred, about 5 hours.
- Turn the slow cooker off and remove the oranges from the pot and discard. Let the pork cool slightly before shredding. Using two forks or with clean hands, shred the pork. Return the shredded meat to the slow cooker filled with sauce and keep warm until ready to serve.
- For the pickled habaneros: Mix the habanero chiles, lime juice, olive oil, oregano and salt into a small bowl. Mix well to incorporate. Let stand at least 20 minutes. They can be made 1 day ahead.
- For the pickled red onions: Mix together the red onions, lime juice, olive oil, regano and salt into a medium bowl. Mix well to incorporate. Let stand for 30 minutes. They can be made 1 day ahead.
- For the fried black bean filled tortillas (panuchos): Using a 5-inch round cookie cutter, cut a smaller tortilla out of each tortilla. Save the scraps for making chilaquiles, tortilla soup, etc. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a medium saute pan over medium-high heat. Then add the beans to warm and soften, about 5 minutes, stirring continuously to avoid burning. Turn the heat off and reserve.
- In a large saute pan, heat the remaining 1/2 cup of vegetable oil to 350 degrees F. While the oil is heating, form the panuchos. Start by spreading 1 tablespoon of warmed beans on the surface of the tortilla. Stack the second tortilla over it pressing on the edges to seal. Remove the excess beans on the side of the panucho. Working in batches, fry the panuchos until golden in color, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and drain on a paper-towel-lined plate.
- To serve: Top each panucho with about 1/3 cup of cochinita pibil. Top with the pickled red onions and habaneros, if desired. Take a bite, die and go to heaven.
COCHINITA PIBIL
The traditional way to make Yucatecan cochinita pibil is to bury a pig in a steaming, smouldering, stone-lined pit and cook it slowly for many hours. The pork has first been marinated with a bright red paste of achiote seeds, garlic, spices and bitter orange juice, and then wrapped in banana leaves. This tender meat is pulled and served simply in its own juices with hot tortillas and pickled onion. Diana Kennedy's no-fuss method for home cooks involves baking a small piece of pork in the oven for just a few hours, inside a heavy lidded pot, with a little water at the bottom.
Provided by Tejal Rao
Categories main course
Time 4h
Yield Serves 4
Number Of Ingredients 21
Steps:
- Score the fat of the pork, evenly salt the meat and set it aside while you make the marinade. In a dry saucepan over medium heat, toast the garlic cloves until they're charred all over, then remove. In the same pan, add cumin, peppercorns, allspice, red-chile powder, cloves and cinnamon. Toast until you can really smell the cumin and pepper. Grind spices, and mix in a food processor until smooth with the oregano, charred garlic, achiote paste, all the citrus zest and about half the juice.
- Place two overlapping banana leaves on your work surface, and put the pork at the center. Rub the spice paste all over the meat, arrange the sliced white onion on top and roll the whole thing up, folding the sides like wrapping paper. (If it unravels, tie it closed with some kitchen twine.) Set the parcel in the fridge for a few hours, or overnight.
- Heat oven to 300. Put the parcel on a rack, or a ring of scrunched-up aluminum foil, inside a heavy pot with a half cup of water at the bottom. Bake with the lid on until the meat is very tender and yields easily to a fork, about 4 hours. Meanwhile, mix the chopped red onion with remaining citrus juices, salt and habanero, and set aside.
- While the meat is still warm, carefully transfer the parcel to a serving dish. Use a fork to shred the meat, spoon over the cooking juices and mix well. Serve with pickled onions, warmed tortillas and halved limes.
Tips:
- Use the right cut of pork: Pork shoulder is the best cut for cochinita pibil. It's a fatty, flavorful cut that will become tender and juicy when cooked low and slow.
- Make sure your achiote paste is fresh: Achiote paste is the key ingredient in cochinita pibil. Make sure yours is fresh and flavorful. You can find it in most Latin American grocery stores.
- Don't skip the banana leaves: Banana leaves add a unique flavor and aroma to cochinita pibil. If you can't find banana leaves, you can use parchment paper instead.
- Cook the cochinita pibil low and slow: The best way to cook cochinita pibil is low and slow. This will allow the flavors to develop and the pork to become tender and juicy.
- Serve with your favorite toppings: Cochinita pibil is traditionally served with tortillas, onions, cilantro, and avocado. You can also add your favorite toppings, such as salsa, sour cream, or cheese.
Conclusion:
Cochinita pibil is a delicious and flavorful Mexican dish that is perfect for any occasion. It's a great way to use up leftover pork shoulder, and it's also a great dish to make ahead of time. Whether you're serving it at a party or enjoying it at home with your family, cochinita pibil is sure to be a hit. So next time you're looking for a new and exciting recipe, give cochinita pibil a try. You won't be disappointed!
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