Cochinita Pibil is one of the oldest dishes of Mexican cuisine. The indigenous people of Yucatan prepared it long before the Conquistadores ever reached a Mexican beach claiming the land for their king.
Some modern versions of Cochinita Pibil include ingredients not endemic to the Yucatan peninsula, like garlic and cumin. We will stick to the most authentic recipe.
You can fix this versatile dish sldo in a pressure cooker or a conventional oven, although in times of old people dug deep holes in the ground, buried their clay pots there and cooked the banana-leaf-wrapped Cochinita for several hours.
We can’t afford that luxury in these days’ stressful times. Plus I don’t want the neighbors calling the cops on me because I am digging a deep hole in my backyard! What am I going to say when they try to sweat me while performing their good cop/bad cop routine with me at the police station? That I was digging my way to China or that I was on a treasure hunt?
So Slow-Cooker Cochinita Pibil it is! Now, as mentioned above the original recipe includes banana leaves to wrap the Cochinita inside the pot. The absence of the banana leaves will not detract in the least from the exquisiteness of this Mexican food.
Serve with Refried Beans as taco filling with soft corn tortillas. Top with Habanero and Red Onion Salsa or with Red Onion Salsa (no chile habanero).
Ingredients
- 3 Lbs. Pork Shoulder
- 1/2 bar of Annatto paste
- 2 oranges, juiced*
- 2 TBSP white vinegar
- 1 TBSP lemon, juiced
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cut the pork shoulder into 1″ cubes. Leave some fat on the meat, to make the Cochinita juicier. Alternatively, you can slow cook the whole pork shoulder; in that case just “stab” it everywhere so that it will absorb the annatto paste when you marinade it. Wash it under running water. Salt and pepper lightly
- If you live near a Mexican market, ask the butcher for “maciza” and tell him to include a few fatty parts of the pork, like the “papada” (jowls). he can cut it for you.
- Prepare the marinade: in the blender place the annatto paste, orange juice, vinegar and lemon and mix until smooth. Place the meat in a large bowl or plastic bag and pour the marinade on top. Refrigerate overnight, preferably or at least 4 – 6 hours.
- Once marinated, place meat and marinade in the slow cooker. Cook on slow for 6 – 8 hours or on high for 4 – 5 hours until the meat is very tender and comes apart when using a fork.
- Take the meat out of the slow cooker and shred using two forks. Place meat and marinade in a smaller pot.
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