Grand Recipes

This month, Chef Guido de la Mora is showcasing a true classic from the Yucatán kitchen in Flor de Canela, Cochinita pibil. This dish is marinated pork that is wrapped in banana leaves and slow roasted until tender. Traditionally cooked in a pib oven or cooking pit in Maya villages, Chef Guido shows you how to prepare it to cook on a grill.

Cochinita Pibil

Chef’s tips:

  • Toasting the spices in oil develops flavor for the marinade.
  • A combination of lime, orange, and grapefruit juice mimics the flavor of Seville oranges commonly used in the Yucatán.
  • Wrapping pork tightly in banana leaves helps trap moisture, resulting in tender meat (you can use aluminum foil if banana leaves are not available).
  • Smoking the pork parcels on the grill imparts the smokiness you’d expect from a traditional pib oven.

Ingredients

For the marinade:

  • 1 whole head of garlic, separated into individual unpeeled cloves
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) lard or vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup achiote (annatto) seeds (1 1/2 ounces; 40g)
  • 2 tablespoons (about 6g) Mexican oregano
  • 3 whole cloves
  • 1 (3-inch) Ceylon cinnamon stick, or a 1 1/2-inch piece of cassia cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons (about 8g) whole black peppercorns
  • 1 tablespoon (about 4g) whole cumin seed
  • 1 tablespoon (about 4g) whole allspice berries
  • 3/4 cup (175ml) bitter (Seville) orange juice, or 1/4 cup (60ml) each lime, orange, and grapefruit juice
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) white vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) soy sauce
  • Kosher salt

For the Pork:

  • 4 pounds (1.8kg) boneless pork shoulder or 6 pounds (2.7kg) bone-in pork shoulder, cut into two-inch-thick slabs
  • 6 to 8 banana leaves (aluminum foil can also be used)
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
  • 1 red or green bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 white onion, sliced
  • 12 bay leaves

Method

Thread garlic cloves onto a metal skewer and grill directly over the flame of a gas grill until completely blackened on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes. Alternatively, toss in a dry skillet over high heat until blackened. Peel blackened skins when cool enough to handle.
Heat oil or lard in a skillet over medium heat until simmering. Add achiote, oregano, cloves, cinnamon, black peppercorns, cumin, and allspice and cook, tossing and stirring until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a blender along with the peeled garlic, Seville orange juice, vinegar, soy sauce, and a big pinch of salt. Blend until smooth. Season to taste with more salt. It should be quite salty and have a consistency like ketchup. If too thick, thin it with water until it flows slowly.

Pour the marinade over the meat and rub it in with your hands. Cover, refrigerate, and let it rest at least one hour, the longer the better. You can also leave it overnight.

Lay out 2 to 3 overlapping banana leaves on a work surface. Place one piece of pork in the center and layer with some of the tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, and bay leaves.
Form a tight parcel by folding the bottom side up and the top side down, then rolling in the sides. Secure parcel with kitchen twine and transfer pork to an oven-safe baking sheet or disposable aluminum baking tray. Repeat with remaining pork and banana leaves.

Light 3/4 BBQ grill 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.

Place a few large hardwood chunks on coals (no need to soak). Place aluminum tray or baking sheet on the side opposite the fire and close lid. Smoke pork, aiming for a temperature between 250 and 300°F inside the chamber the whole time, until a metal skewer inserted into pork shows no resistance, 4 to 5 hours total. (Adjust heat by adding coals and/or adjusting the air vents.) Add extra wood chunks to coals once per hour

Remove the pork from grill and transfer the parcels to a deep platter or shallow bowl. Unwrap banana leaves, shred pork with two forks and stir it into the dripping. Stuff it into warm corn tortillas with Yucatan-style pickled red onions and salsa and serve immediately.