Puerco Pibil
I was watching a DVD and found this puerco/cochinita pibil recipe as part of the special features. I was intrigued by the role the food played.
Submitted by: Kenton from Seattle, Washington
Preparation Instructions:
- Grind the annato seeds, cumin seeds, whole peppercorns, whole cloves, and whole allspice in a mortar and pestle, molcajete y tejolote, spice grinder or coffe grinder.
- Blend the cleaned and chopped habanero peppers with the orange juice, vinegar, garlic and salt.
- Mix the dry spices with the liquid.
- Add the juice of 5 lemons and a nice splash of tequila.
- Place the cubed pork butt in a large zip lock bag and add the marinade. Soak 4-6 hours, in refrigerator, turning several times.
- Line (8 by 13) baking pan with banana leaves. Pour in pork along with the marinade. Cover with Banana leaves and seal the pan with foil. Bake in a 325 F degree oven for 4 hours.
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More About This Recipe
Banana leaves are optional, because I haven't found any locally yet. Take it easy on Habanero peppers. HOT!HOT!!HOT!!! Preground spices can be used in place of the whole spices, but the brilliant flavor of freshly ground spices really makes this dish what it is! (Editor's note: It may be helpful to read the hints left in the reviews of this recipe. Another suggestion, given to us by Dennis from Rawlins, Wyoming, is to add brown sugar to the marinating mix, use limes instead of lemons, and only cook 3 to 3 1/2 hours in aluminum foil.)
Find the fresh spices. Use the banana leaves. Search the Robert Rodriguez on YouTube to see how simple it is.
I can never make enough. Over rice with Pickled veggies is the right touch.
I’ve been making this recipe since I saw it on the extras to Once Upon a Time in Mexico years ago.
Annatto can usually be found at your local Mexican grocery. You may not know it but you almost certainly have one near you, no matter where you live.
DONT SKIP THE ANNATTO! If you absolutely can’t find it, you can almost ALWAYS find achiote paste at the Mexican grocer. It’s not quite as good, to me, but It is way easier than grinding a heap of hard annatto in a mortar and pestle.
Do not leave out the annatto or the banana leaves both add flavor, in Puerto Rico were I come from we cut the rib out of the leaves and pass it over an open flame on the stove,it makes the leaves more pliable and the leaves add a subtle flavor. I can find the leaves at any grocery store in Racine in the freezer section. I grow several banana plants in my yard in the summer and save the leaves in my freezer,they can also be used wrapped on chicken or fish to hold in moisture and add flavor. We also use lime instead of lemon and rum instead of tequila. Do not leave out the alcohol no matter which one you use as they also add flavor and the alcohol cooks out, I flame the alcohol before adding to burn off the alcohol and it’s just fun to do. I also prepare this recipe several days in advance so the flavor develops and contrary to other comments this is important. I also use less salt. If making this with recipe with chicken as was mentioned before use thighs instead of breast meat as it can take the longer cooking time and they stay moist. Also wait to add the salt until just before cooking.
I have been using this recipe for quite a while. I’ve never seen it use lemons; in my case, as it’s a southern Mexican and Central American thing it’s tropical by definition. I will use pineapple juice in lieu of orange juice and I will dice and add pineapple chunks for that reason.
The reason it’’s called “pibil” has everything to do with the banana leaves. They are used, originally, like corn husks in tamales. As a wrap while it cooks. In tropical Mexico corn was not used and the banana leave served the same purpose. The leaf is completely unnecessary in modern cooking if you are using a conventional oven and tin foil. When Robert Rodriquez talked about his recipe he himself said he wasn’t sure what the leave was for. All that’s critical in either case is a tight seal of course to envelope and contain the juices and steam. It really does “fall off the fork” when done right.
I make this a few times a year, great simple recipie, with minimal effort. Tips:
1) in the UK annato seeds are hard to find, but you need the, for the dish to work… I get mine from eBay.
2) you don’t need banana leaves
3) 3 shots of tequila instead of 2
4) use pork short rib – the butchers will define it for you. Less fat, more taste and pulls/shreds far better
And that’s how to perfect this already awesome recipie.
I make this a couple times a year, thank you Robert Rodriguez! Banana leaves are totally unnecessary. They add nothing to the flavor; it’s just what they traditionally used in places that have banana trees! Parchment paper works better and is easier to tie up. And I’ve made it with and without tequila and no one can tell the difference.
My buddy made it this weekend, with a few amendments due to lack of annato seeds in our area. We cooked it in the oven for 2 hours in a 275 degree oven, then smoked it in the grill with lump charcoal and applewood, hickory and mesquite chips for another 2 hours. The smoker temp was about 225 degrees at top of barrel. came out so perfect that while sitting around drinking beer we had to use fingers to take out of pan because tongs caused the pork to shred instantly. It was melt -on-your-mouth AMAZING!!!
I made it to the tee but substituted one of the habeneros with a Jalepeno, worked great!
I’ll be making this quite often
Puerco pibil, it is a slow roasted pork, nothing fancy, just happens to be my favorite and I order it, with a tequila and lime, in every dive I go to in this country and honestly, that is the best it’s ever been, anywhere. In fact it’s too good, it is so good that when I finish with it, I’ll pay my check walk straight into the kitchen and shoot the cook, because that’s what I do, I restore the balance to this country and that is what I would like from you right now. Help me keep the balance by pulling the trigger.
I live in the U.K and found it very difficult to get a couple of ingredients , but never the less I made it to the tee and would recomend a little more than a splash of tequila lol