Cochinita Pibil
Rick Martinez
Photo by Ren Fuller
- Serves
- 8
- Prep Time
- 4 Hours
- Cook Time
- 2 Hours 30 Minutes
Grapefruit, lime, and orange slow-roasted pork shoulder While I was in Yucatán, I had the honor of meeting a maestro of the pibil, Silvio Campos, chef and owner of Pueblo Pibil in Tixkokob. He showed me his pits, and how he selects the wood, how he knows when the fire is ready to receive the cochinita. This is a hard dish to replicate at home because so much of the flavor comes from the wood, the fire, and the minerals in the soil and in the pit—but even so, this slow-roasted pork, marinated in lots of citrus and then braised in the marinade and wrapped in banana leaves—takes me right back to Yucatán. If you have a grill or a smoker, you can roast the pork in it to get a closer version of this dish.
Ingredients
Cochinita Pibil
- 8 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1/3 cup Recado Rojo or achiote paste (3 1/2 ounces / 100 grams)
- 1/3 cup fresh grapefruit juice (about 1 grapefruit)
- 1/3 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)
- 8 wide strips orange zest
- 1/3 cup fresh orange juice (about 2 oranges)
- 4 1/4 teaspoon Morton kosher salt (20 grams)
- 2 teaspoon Recado de Todo Clase (see below)
- 2 pound (907 grams) boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 large fresh or thawed frozen banana leaves (optional)
- Warm tortillas de maíz
- Cebolla morada encurtida
Recado de Todo Clase
- 3 tablespoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican (3½ grams)
- 2 tablespoon black peppercorns (22 grams)
- 8 allspice berries
- 5 whole cloves
- 1 1-inch stick canela or cassia cinnamon
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
Featured Video
Cochinita Pibil
Recipe reprinted with permission from Mi Cocina: Recipes and Rapture from My Kitchen in Mexico (Clarkson Potter, May 2022). This post contains products independently chosen (and loved) by our editors and writers. As an Amazon Associate, Food52 earns an affiliate commission on qualifying purchases of the products we link to.
Directions
Cochinita Pibil
- Step 1
In a blender, puree the garlic, recado rojo, grapefruit juice, lime juice, orange juice, salt, and Recado de Todo Clase (see instructions below) until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the pork and orange zest and toss to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 24. The more time, the better.
- Step 2
Arrange a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 250°F.
- Step 3
Unfold a banana leaf (it should be 2 to 3 feet long). If you have gas burners, heat one gas burner on high (otherwise, heat the oven to 475°F). Hold a leaf at each end and very slowly move the leaf over the flame, leaving it in one place until you see light char coming through the top, then continue moving slowly until the entire leaf is charred. It’ll take 3 to 7 seconds to see char marks in one spot. Repeat with the remaining banana leaf. (If drying the leaves in the oven, unfold them and arrange on a sheet pan—it’s okay if they are piled on top of each other—and bake until the leaves are browned and dried out in places, for about 20 minutes.)
- Step 4
Lay the leaves across the bottom and up the sides of a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, arranging them so there’s about 6 inches of overhang draped over the rim.
- Step 5
Remove and discard the orange zest. Transfer the marinade and pork to the prepared pot. Fold the overhanging leaves over the top of the pork so it is completely covered. Cover the pot with a lid, transfer to the oven, and roast the pork until it’s very tender and easily falls apart when poked, 2 to 2½ hours.
- Step 6
Remove the pot from the oven and set it aside, still covered, for 45 minutes or up to 2 hours. Using two forks, shred the meat and stir into the accumulated juices.
- Step 7
Serve with warm tortillas and cebolla morada encurtida.
Recado de Todo Clase
- Step 1
In a spice mill or blender, grind the oregano, peppercorns, allspice, cloves, canela, bay leaf, and cumin until finely ground. Transfer to an airtight container and store in a cool, dark, dry spot for up to 3 months.