Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Puerco Pibil - A Slow Roasted Mexican Pork



Puerco Pibil is an insanely exotic dish that's a staple in the Yucatan Peninsula.  It's trademark color comes from the annatto seeds in the aciote paste.  If you've ever seen "Once Upon A Time In Mexico", you'll recognize this as the dish that Johnny Depp's character goes loco over.

I have to give credit to Robert Rodriguez for the recipe - it's one of the cool special features on the DVD for that movie where he does a video tutorial of making this dish.  I've been making this ever since I first saw it back in 2003. 

The annatto seeds I refer to above can be purchased in Mexican markets or purchased online.  They look like little rocks:



One other reason I truly enjoy this dish, is it requires about 20 minutes of preparation and then you throw it in the oven for 4 hours and you're done.  You have time to go about your day and do what you need to do while the meat steams itself to perfection. 

The last thing I'd like to point out is that traditional pibil involves wrapping the meat in banana leaves prior to cooking.   Since I don't have easy access to banana trees, I simply place the pork in a casserole dish and cover tightly with aluminum foil.   If you have a problem with that, take it up with me in the morning...I'm too tired to argue now.

Ooh....one more thing:  It is ideal if you have a coffee grinder that you can use for grinding spices. (Don't use one you use for grinding coffee...it's going to come out all yuck.)  If you don't, just take my measurements below from the bottled version of the spices.  Ok, now I'm done.





Puerco' Pibil

Ingredients:
  • 5# Pork Butt (Also known as Pork Shoulder)
  • 5 Tbsp. Annato Seeds
  • 2 Tsp. Cumin Seeds
  • 1 Tbsp. Black Peppercorns
  • 8 Allspice
  • 1/2 Tsp. Cloves
  • 2-3 Habanero Peppers, Seeded and chopped
  • 1/2 Cup Orange Juice
  • 1/2 Cup White Vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp. Kosher Salt
  • 8 Cloves Garlic, Minced
  • Juice of 5 Lemons
  • A splash of your favorite Tequilla - Don't skimp, use the good stuff

How To Make:
  • Place the annato seeds, cumin, pepper, allspice, and cloves in your grinder and grind until they're small granules.  Set aside.  In a blender, combine habanero, orange juice, & vinegar and blend briefly (5-8 seconds).  Add the ground spices, salt, garlic, lemon juice and tequilla and blend until smooth - about 30 seconds.
  • Cut the pork into 2" cubes and place in a large ziploc bag.  Pour the marinade over the meat, seal the bag, and shake/move so the mixture covers the meat thoroughly.  Preheat the oven to 325.
  • Line a large casserole dish with a few sheets of aluminum foil and pour the meat into the dish.  Cover entire contents with foil and make sure there are no air holes - the steam is what cooks the meat properly.  Cook 4 hours and serve over rice.









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