Hi, guys.
This is one of the traditional dishes of Yucatan.
Marinade Ingredients:
•1 1/2 Cups Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
•1 1/2 Cups Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
•90 grams Achiote Condimentado Paste
•4 Cloves Garlic
•Salt to Taste
•Pepper to Taste
•2-3 Tablespoons Chicken Bouillon Powder, optional
•3 lbs. Pork Shoulder or Loin
Wrap Ingredients:
•2-4 Large Banana Leaves
•1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil or Melted Lard
Salsa Ingredients:
•6 Habanero Chiles
•2 Cups Onion, finely chopped
•1 Cup Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
•1 Cup Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
•Salt to Taste
Marinade :
Dilute the achiote paste in the lime and orange juice. Add salt and pepper to taste as well as chicken bouillon if desired. Cut the pork into stew-sized pieces. Marinate the pork in the achiote-juice mixture in a covered dish in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours. Marinating is essential to succes, so this step cannot be skipped.
Salsa :
Toast the habanero chiles in a skillet over medium heat. Remove from heat and cool. Finely chop the chiles, and add the onion, lime and orange juice. Add salt to taste. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving with the cochinita pibil.
Wrap and Roasting Directions:
Pre heat oven to 325 degress Farenheit.
To prepare the banana leaves, hold them over a gas burner or put them in a skillet over medium heat. Heat them until they can change color a bit and soften. This prevents them from tearing when you wrap the pork in them. Be careful not to overtoast them or they will become brittle.
In a rectangular pan, lay a banana leaf lenghtwise and another along its width. Place the marinated pork, pouring all the marinade on top of it, on the leaves and pour the vegetable oil or melted lard over the pork. Fold the banana leaves over the pork and flip the wrapped pork seam-side down in the pan. Make sure the leaves are moist so they won’t burn. Cover with foil.
Bake for 2 hours. Remove from oven and carefully remove foil. The pork should be very tender and fall apart easily when pulled with a fork. If not, return to the oven and cook until tender. Shred pork with 2 forks when done.
Serve the cochinita pibil with warm corn tortillas.