Puerco Pibil Cochinita Pibil Food

COCHINITA PIBIL

Steps:

• If you are making your own recado rojo, the achiote paste, grind the annatto seeds in a spice grinder. The seed are hard, to you will need to grind, sift into a bowl, then grind some more. When the seeds are ground into a powder, mix them with the vinegar and set aside. Incidentally, you can get powdered annatto, but unless it's bright red, don't buy it -- the flavor gets old and stale fast. Put the oregano, cumin seeds, peppercorns and allspice into the grinder and grind that into a powder. Add it to the bowl with the achiote. Move the spice mixture, the garlic and orange juice to a food processor or blender and process until you get a thick paste. This will keep in the fridge for months.
• Get a heavy, lidded pot that will hold the meat snugly. You can either keep the meat on the bone if it will fit into the pot (javelina shoulders do), or cut it into pieces that will fit. If for some reason you are using hind legs, you will want to cut the meat across the grain into hunks about 2 to 3 inches across. If you don't do this, you will have very long strands of meat when you are ready to eat it, which isn't so nice. Mix the achiote paste with the lard, salt and enough bitter orange juice to make a sauce like a very thick BBQ sauce. Put the meat into the pot and pour the sauce over it. Massage the sauce into the meat as best you can (maybe wear gloves, as the annatto stains unless you wash your hands the second you're done), and, if you have time, Set everything into the fridge for up to a day. You don't have to do this, but a long marinade is traditional, and helpful if you cook at high-ish temperatures.
• When you are ready to cook, take the meat out of the fridge and sprinkle the epazote and avocado leaves over it. Cover the pot and put it into a 250°F oven. If you do this, the meat will take between 6 and 8 hours to cook, but will be of better texture. If you are in a bit more of a hurry, set the oven to 300°F and the meat should be ready in 3 to 4 hours.
• When the meat is ready to fall off the bone, shred it with two forks. With wild pigs or javelina, I like to add anywhere from 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of lard to the mixture, to keep it from getting dry.
• Serve on tortillas with pickled red onions and some minced habaneros. Drizzle a little extra lime or bitter orange juice on it when you serve your tortillas.

PUERCO PIBIL

Steps:

• Using the coffee ginder, grind Annato, Cumin Seed, Cloves, Allspice, and Peppercorns into a fine powder.
• Remove seeds and inner membrane from habanero.
• Add vinegar, orange juice, habanero, salt, garlic, and spice powder to blender. Blend on high for 30-60 seconds.
• Add juice of five lemons and Tequila and blend for another 30-60 seconds. Congratulations, you've just made achiote paste.
• Cut pork into 2 inch cubes and place in a large ziplock bag; pour achiote paste over pork. Seal bag and mush bag around to spread the paste over the pork. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours.
• Line the baking pan with banana leaves (or foil if you don't have leaves).
• Pour pork and achiote paste into pan.
• Cover with more banana leaves and then foil. Crimp foil around pan to make sure steam doesn't escape.
• Bake in the oven at 325° F for 4 hours.
• And bam, a dish so good you might just get whacked for making it.

COCHINITA PIBIL (YUCATáN-STYLE BARBECUED PORK) RECIPE

Steps:

• Light 3/4 chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and arrange coals on one side of charcoal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill, and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Alternatively, set half the burners on a gas grill to medium-high, cover, and preheat for 10 minutes.
• Remove pork from grill and transfer parcels to a deep platter or shallow bowl. Unwrap banana leaves, shred pork with two forks, stir it into drippings, stuff it into tortillas with pickled red onions and salsa, and serve immediately.

COCHINITA PIBIL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Trim the excess fat from the pork.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the achiote paste, vinegar, oregano, orange juice, and garlic. Mix well.
• Trim the center core from the banana leaves and run them under hot tap water until the leaves become soft and pliable. Remove the excess water from the leaves and lay them, long edges slightly overlapping, onto the countertop.
• Place the roast in a large mixing bowl and add a generous amount of salt and pepper. Add the achiote mixture and cover the roast with the mixture.
• Place the roast on the banana leaves and wrap it well, completely covering the surface of the roast. Place the roast on a rack inside a roasting pan. Add 2 cups water to the bottom of the pan, tent with foil and place it in the oven for 20 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to 275 degrees F and roast for 6 hours.
• Serve with pickled red onions, warm corn tortillas and salsa.

COCHINITA PIBIL

Steps:

• In a medium size bowl, mash together the achiote paste, garlic, orange juice, lime juice, bay leaves, cumin, cinnamon, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper with a fork. Add the pork, toss to evenly coat and marinate, at room temperature, at least 4 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Heat a dry cast iron skillet over high heat. Char the onion until blackened on both sides. Char the tomatoes on both sides. Reserve.
• Line a large baking dish with one layer of the banana leaves or foil. Arrange the pork in an even layer and top with the onions, tomatoes and chiles and all the marinade. Cover with more banana leaves and wrap the dish tightly in foil. Bake for 2-1/2 hours or until the pork is tender and moist. Remove from oven and let sit 10 minutes. Unwrap and serve with pickled shallots.

COCHINITA PIBIL (OR "PUERCO PIBIL") (SIMPLIFIED)

Steps:

• First, you have to prepare the Achiote Paste. This is used to marinate the pork. First, put the Annatto Powder, Ground Cumin, Black Pepper, All-Spice seeds and whole cloves into a spice grinder. Grind into a fine dust. You wanna do that because if you don't, the dust can be VERY gritty. Not good.
• Cut up the habanero peppers. I use three. I also leave the seeds in and most of the membrane. USE GLOVES WHEN HANDLING AND CUTTING UP THE PEPPERS. I cannot stress that enough. If you use your hands to cut the peppers and then touch the seeds and membrane and then touch or scratch your face or eyes or any bit of your skin for any reason, you're gonna be the sorriest person on the planet.
• Also, take the time to cut up and mince your garlic. You can use your hands to do this.
• Pour in your orange juice, white vinegar, minced-up habanero, add your grinded up spices (if you used a blender to grind up your spices instead of a grinder, you don't have to do this), salt and garlic and then blend well for about a minute. If you think you still have some grit or pulp from your ingredients, keep blending.
• After it's well-mixed, pour in a full cup of lemon juice. I like to just buy the stuff, pre-squeezed. They DO sell all-natural stuff, so you won't be cheating too much when you squeeze it from a bottle.
• After that, add in 2 to 3 shots of tequila. Blend again.
• Get your pork shoulder and cut it into 1 to 1 1/2-inch cubes. Once done, throw all the cut-up meat into a big 1 1/2-gallon Ziploc bag.
• Pour the Achiote Paste you've prepared into the bag with the chopped-up pork and MAKE SURE THE BAG IS SEALED. This juice, when it drips, is capable of staining and leaves a pungent smell due to all the acids contained in it. Once sealed, put it into the fridge and let it marinate overnight. If you don't want to wait, allow two hours to marinate.
• Next, preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
• Once properly marinated, get your casserole or baking dish and line it with aluminum foil. I recommend using the wider yield because this helps prevent spillage into the dish. Once the pan is lined and you have slack foil on the sides, pour in all the pork and juice and close the foil up over the meat. It wouldn't hurt to add ANOTHER layer of foil and tuck the meat in on the inside of the pan. This prevents any steam from escaping, thus properly allowing the food to slow cook perfectly. Then, add one more piece on top to go AROUND the outside edges of the pan.
• Once the oven is ready, put the entire dish in (make sure to handle it carefully; you don't want it to slip and fall) and shut the door.
• Set the oven timer for 4 hours and don't look back. The meat slow-cooks on its own and you DON'T need to check on it. Doing so makes the oven lose heat.
• During the last 30 or so minutes of the cooking, prepare your rice according to the package.
• CAREFULLY, remove the dish from the oven after the timer has gone off and CAREFULLY, open up the foil, avoiding ANY escaping steam.
• Use a fork to break up the steamed pork into shreds. This allows the meat to absorb a lot of the left-over juice. This also allows the pleasant side-effect of the pork tasting even BETTER the next hour and even the next day.
• If you want to get fancy and act like you own a swank restaurant, get a large lettuce leaf and then spoon out an even bed of rice on top of it. If you don't feel like using lettuce, just spoon out a bed of rice on a plate.
• Spoon out a generous amount of pork on top of the rice.
• Garnish with a jalapeno pepper -- and enjoy. :).

PUERCO PIBIL (YUCATAN-STYLE SLOW ROASTED PORK)

Steps:

• For the Achiote Recado....place annatto seeds and water in small saucepan over high heat; bring to boil, cover, and lower to simmer.
• Cook about 30 minutes, remove from heat, and leet seeds steep for about 2 hours, or until softened.
• Drain, then place in food processor with remaining ingredients; Blend until a smooth paste forms.
• If you would like a spicier recado, add 2-3 habaneros to the processor.
• Combine pork butt and recado in large ziploc, sealing tightly.
• Refrigerate, and let marinate for at least two days (but no longer than 5; meat will grow saltier the longer it is kept), turning occasionally.
• Place a sheet of tin foil in a sturdy pan.
• Cross banana leaves on top of the foil, and place meat in center.
• Add any remaining marinade to pork- it is important that the pork stews in its own marinade.
• Wrap leaves around the meat, covering with more leaves if necessary, to make a neat package.
• Cover pan with one more layer of foil, to prevent steam from escaping.
• [NOTE:If you are unable to get banana leaves, simply place the pork in a roasting pan, covering very tightly with tin foil- But the banana leaves look much cooler.]
• Cook in a 325-degree oven for about four hours, until pork is meltingly tender.
• Let rest for 30 minutes, then coarsely shred, removing any large fatty pieces.
• Serve with salsas, pink pickled onions, warm tortillas, and icy cold beer (or tequila, if that's your thing).

PUERCO PIBIL

Steps:

• Put annato seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns, allspice and cloves in a clean coffee grinder and grind very fine.
• Put orange juice, white vinegar, habanero peppers, ground spice powder, salt, garlic, lemon juice and tequila in blender.
• Blend until smooth.
• Place cubed pork and liquid from blender in zip loc bag and marinate for one hour.
• Line a 9x13 baking pan with banana leaves.
• Pour pork mixture directly on top of banana leaves and cover with more banana leaves.
• Cover tightly with foil.
• Bake at 325 degrees for 4 hours.