Cochinita Pibil
You will need:
- 4 pounds of pork shoulder
- 1 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed if possible
- 1/2 cup lime juice
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 3 ounces of red achiote paste
- Pickled red onions, for garnish
- Dry Mexican cheese, for garnish
- Chopped cilantro, for garnish
- Lime wedges, for garnish
NOTE: You can find the achiote paste at a Specialty Latin market, or possibly a supercenter.
- The night before or the morning before you plan to serve this, mix the orange and lime juice with the achiote paste and salt in a blender until combined.
- Be sure to rinse the blender soon afterwards, as the achiote stains.
- Cut the pork into chunks of about 2 inches square, but don’t trim the fat, as you will need it in the braising to come. You can always pick it out later. Put the pork in a non-reactive (glass, stainless steel or plastic) container, then pour over the marinade mixture.
- Mix well, cover and keep in the fridge for at least 6 hours and up to 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Line a large casserole with a double layer of heavy-duty foil, or a triple layer of regular foil because you want a good seal (You can also use banana leaves, which is the traditional method for cooking this dish.)
- Pour in the pork and the marinade and close the foil tightly.
- Put the casserole in the oven and bake for at least 3 hours.
- At the 3 hour mark, check to make sure the meat is tender and falling apart.
- When the pork is tender, take it out of the oven and open the foil.
- Remove the meat with a slotted spoon to a bowl, then shred it with two forks.
- Pour enough sauce over the meat to make it wet.
- To serve, either use this as taco meat or eat it over rice, garnished with cilantro, lime wedges and queso seco, a Mexican dry cheese a little like Greek feta.
- Enjoy!
I hope you enjoy this dish and I will see you all tomorrow. Great job cooking everyone!
