Puerco Pibil

Locale: Mexico

Source: Roberto Rodriguez

Ingredients

  • 5 lbs pork butt
  • 5 tbs annatto
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 8 allspice, whole
  • 6 cloves, whole
  • 1 tbs black pepper, whole
  • 0.5 c orange juice
  • 0.5 c white vinegar
  • 2 habanero peppers
  • 2 tbs salt
  • 8 cloves garlic
  • 5 lemons
  • tequila
  • banana leaves

Steps

  1. Cut the pork into chunks about 2 inches square. Put the pork in a 1 gallon bag or a large bowl with a lid.

  2. Grind the annatto, cumin, allspice, cloves and black pepper in a grinder or blender, until it's all powder.

  3. Chop tops off habaneros and take out seeds and veins. Put peppers, orange juice, and vinegar into blender with ground spices. Add salt and garlic, and blend until even. Add juice from lemons and splash of tequila. Pour over pork and marinate for at least 1 hour.

  4. Heat oven to 325F. Line baking pan with banana leaves (if available). Put meat into pan. Cover with two layers of aluminum foil. Bake undisturbed for 3.5 hours. Unwrap and serve.

Notes

  1. This recipe was transcribed by Mike Hull from a DVD extra showing Rodriguez making this dish. Mike made the dish for me once. I made it once on my own. Neither of us have ever scrounged up the banana leaves. I don't recall whether I used the habaneros, some less lethal peppers, or any at all. Mike recommends bumping the tequila up to about three shots. He posted this on Porkalicious.