Iconic Cochinita Pibil Recipe
Let me show you how to make Cochinita Pibil at home!
This dish is as authentic as it gets when it comes to traditional Mexican cuisine, straight from the heart of Yucatán. Picture tender, marinated pork, slow-cooked until it practically melts in your mouth, all wrapped up in banana leaves for that perfect earthy flavor. Sounds dreamy, right? But, let’s be real—most of us don’t have access to an open flame or a stash of banana leaves just lying around.
Now, I’ll admit, when I first tackled this recipe on my sterile electric stove without those key ingredients, I felt like I was committing a culinary sin. But sometimes you’ve just gotta work with what you’ve got. And let me tell you, despite my less-than-authentic setup, this dish turned out absolutely phenomenal.
Usually, I like to tweak recipes over time before sharing it, but this one? It’s a no-fuss, instant hit. So, if you’re down to give it a go, let’s dive in!
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Cochinita Pibil
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg Pork Shoulder
Marinade
- 50 g Achiote
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
- 3 cloves
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 medium tomato
- 1 small onion
- 1 chile guajillo
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1 cup fresh orange juice
- 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Start by prepping your station and measuring out all your ingredients and spices.
- In a hot pan, roast your garlic, onion, tomato, cinnamon stick, and chile guajillo. Turn them around until they’re nice and toasty on all sides. Be careful with the guajillo—if it burns, it'll turn bitter.
- In a mortar, grind your spices. They don’t have to be super fine—a rough grind is just fine since everything will end up in the blender anyway.
- Squeeze 1 cup of orange juice. If your oranges are sweet, balance it with 1/2 cup of lime juice. If your oranges are on the sour side, just stick with 1.5 cups of sour orange juice.
- Add your roasted veggies, ground spices, and juices to the blender, along with the star of the show—the Achiote. Add an extra 1/2 cup of water to the blender.
- Once your marinade is ready, pour it over the meat in a bowl. Use just enough to fully cover the meat, and save the rest in a separate container in the fridge.
- Cover the bowl and let the meat marinate in the fridge overnight.
THE NEXT DAY
- Heat a large pot on the stove over high heat. Once it’s hot, start sealing the meat on all sides. Use tongs to get each piece just enough to change color or brown a little.
- Once everything’s sealed, pour the remaining marinade into the pot. If it’s not enough to cover the meat, add another cup of water. Cover and cook on low to medium heat for 2-3 hours, or until the meat is soft enough to shred.
- When the meat is falling apart, turn off the stove and start shredding with two forks.
SERVE
- Warm up some corn tortillas
- Serve with pickled red onions and refried beans.
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