Cochinita Pibil

This Yucatan dish is eaten throughout Mexico and makes for an ideal taco filling. Traditionally, the Mayans wrapped the meat in banana leaves and cooked it in a pit in the ground. However, if you don’t have access to banana leaves and your own ground pit, cooking it in an oven or ideally a slow cooker will also work. To enhance the flavour of the cooking sauce, this recipe includes Recado Blanco; a thick grey sauce mainly made with peppers. Despite its name the sauce is not white in colour, but they call it white because it is the lightest sauce in Yucatan cuisine. It is recommended to start the preparation one day before it will be eaten.
by Cristina Llano Medina
Image

Ingredients:

1kg pork leg or pork loin
1kg pork ribs
100g achiote paste
500ml sour orange juice

Alternatively, you can use 300ml lime juice & 200ml sweet orange juice

30g peppercorns, whole
60g onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp oregano
Salt

Instructions

1.Start by making the Recado Blanco.

a.Rinse the peppercorns in water and then drain them.

b.Once drained, blend the peppercorns with the onion, garlic, herbs, and salt.

c.After a couple of minutes, add 2 tbsp of water as needed.

2.Blend the achiote paste with the orange juice and 3 tbsp of the Recado Blanco.

3.Cut the pork in large chunks and place in a bowl. Add the sauce, making sure to cover all the pork.

4.Cover the bowl and marinate overnight.

5.Cover the marinated pork in the Recado Blanco and slow cook for 5 hours.

6.Once cooked, shred the meat and separate from the ribs.

7.Serve in corn tortillas with some lime juice and your favourite hot salsa for the perfect Cochinita Pibil tacos.

Mexican ingredients available at www.mexgrocer.co.uk

Related Articles

Image
cenote
El Cenote: Mexican Food Done Incredibly Well

Calling all Mexican food enthuisaists! Think deliciously fresh guacamole paired perfectly with the crunchiest nachos. Enchiladas…

Image
Zapote restaurant
Zapote: elegant Mexican dining in London

Located in vibrant Shoreditch, Zapote provides a beautiful space, dedicated service and an impressive dining experience.

Image
Oscar's Mexican stew, or pozole.
Home Recipe #1: Oscar’s Mexican Pozole

In this Latino Life series, we showcase Latin home chefs who are spicing up the culinary scene here in the UK. Our first Latin…

Latest Content

Image
Film & Theatre
THE GOOD SISTER (Schwesterherz -2025) by Sarah Miró Fischer at the…

“I craft films driven by their characters—layered, dynamic, and deeply human. No matter how…

Image
January Reggaeton Recap
Music
THE JANUARY REGGAETON RECAP

It’s the first Reggaeton Recap of the year and the artists certainly know it as they’re pulling out…

Image
Maria (2024) Larraín ( cropped)1
Film & Theatre
Maria (2024) by multi-award-winning Chilean director Pablo Larraín.

“I’m in a mood for adulation” Pablo Larraín explores the last years in the life of coloratura…

Logo

Instagram

 

Most Viewed

Image
Top 10 Argentine Footballers

As one of the biggest football teams in South America and the world, the Argentine Football…

Image
Top 10 Mexican Boxers

Globally, Mexico is known as a boxing powerhouse, boasting some of the greatest champions in the…

Image
Ballads and Boleros
LatinoLife's Favourite Mexican Male Singers of all Time

Since the days when Mexico was a serious rival to Hollywood in terms of film production and quality…