The Cochinita Pibil is an iconic dish from the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, known for its rich, flavorful marinade and slow-cooked succulence. In this recipe, we'll recreate La Capital's version, bringing the warm and vibrant tastes of Mexican cuisine right to your kitchen. With a few adjustments for those unable to find traditional ingredients, you can still achieve an authentic pibil experience.
Ingredients:
- 3-4 lbs pork shoulder, preferably bone-in
- Pork ribs with bone
- A small piece of pork shank (optional)
- 100g achiote paste
- 10-11 cloves of garlic
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp Mexican oregano (if available)
- 1½ tbsp salt
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp allspice berries
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 3 bay leaves
- 500ml (about 17 oz) sour orange juice (or substitute with a mix of sweet orange juice and apple cider vinegar)
- A splash of apple cider vinegar
- 2 dried ancho chilies, rehydrated and deseeded
- Some water from rehydrating the chilies
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Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 4-5 hours for traditional oven, 9-10 hours for slow cooking on a grill
Total Time: 4 hours 45 minutes to 10 hours 45 minutes (depending on cooking method)
**Servings:** 6-8
Equipment:
- Cutting board and knife
- Blender
- Large bowl
- Oven or grill for slow cooking
- Aluminum foil or banana leaves (for cooking)
- A pan for toasting spices
- Citrus juicer (if using fresh oranges)
Instructions:
1. Trim any excess fat from the pork shoulder and cut it into medium-sized chunks.
2. Prepare the spice blend by toasting the cinnamon stick, allspice berries, black peppercorns, and cloves in a dry skillet on low heat for 2-3 minutes, until they become fragrant. Be careful not to burn the spices.
3. In a blender, combine the achiote paste, garlic cloves, ground cumin, Mexican oregano, salt, the toasted spice blend, bay leaves, sour orange juice, and a splash of apple cider vinegar. Blend until smooth.
4. Add the rehydrated and deseeded ancho chilies to the blender with a bit of the soaking water and blend again until the marinade is very smooth.
5. In a large bowl, pour the marinade over the pork pieces, ensuring each piece is well-coated. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
6. Preheat your oven or grill to a low temperature (around 325°F if using an oven).
7. Wrap the marinated pork in aluminum foil or banana leaves if available, to seal in the moisture and flavor.
8. Cook the pork slowly until it is tender and pulls apart easily with a fork. In an oven, this may take approximately 4-5 hours. On a grill, it could take 9-10 hours depending on the heat.
9. Once cooked, shred the pork and serve with warm tortillas, pickled red onions, and fresh cilantro.
Cooking Tips:
- If you can't find sour orange juice, mix equal parts of sweet orange juice and apple cider vinegar to mimic the flavor.
- Toasting the spices before grinding amplifies their flavor.
- Slow cooking is key to the tenderness and flavor infusion in Cochinita Pibil.
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This recipe has been adapted and shared with permission from La Capital, for more delicious recipes visit their YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@lacapitalcocina.
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Cochinita Pibil