Grand Recipes

Our October recipe from Chef Guido de la Mora is the classic cochinita pibil, marinated roast pork from the Yucatan. This dish would traditionally be prepared in a pib or cooking pit and would use a whole pig or a suckling pig and the quantities given in this recipe are for a family gathering. It is the dish of the month at Flor de Canela, be sure to order it and enjoy the flavors of this regional favorite.

Cochinita Pibil

Ingredients

• 3 kg pork ribs
• 3 kg of pork legs
• 1 pig’s head (optional)
• Water
• 6 Seville oranges or naranja agria for juice
• Banana leaves to wrap

Cochinita pibil marinade

• 6 Seville oranges for juice
• 2 tbsp fresh oregano
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp ground allspice
• 30g salt
• Water
• 1 onion
• 200g achiote seeds (annatto)
• 6 bay leaves
• 6 cloves of garlic
• Pickled onion garnish
• 3 Seville oranges for their juice
• ½ liter water
• 1 tsp salt
• 6 red onions

Preparation

Spice mix or recado for the marinade

Soak the achiote seeds in water for 15 minutes

Grind them and add the other ingredients, mixing well to form a paste. Add the Seville orange juice and salt.

Line a roasting tin or casserole with the banana leaves, they should cover the meat. Score the pork with a knife and cover with the marinade. Place on top of the banana leaves and rub the meat so that the marinade is evenly spread. Add a little of the spice mix diluted in orange juice and water. Cover with the overlapping banana leaves, cover the lid and cook.

Set the oven temperature to 120°C and cook for three hours until the meat falls off the bone.

Preparing the pickled onion

Slice the onion and soak them in hot salted water for 10 minutes to soften.

Drain, add the orange juice and mix well.

Serve the cochinita pibil on fresh corn tortillas with a little of the cooking sauce and the pickled onion.