Traditional cochinita pibil calls for slow roasting the marinated meat in a banana leaf but I add a couple of peppers to zip it up a bit and do it in the slow cooker lined in banana leaf. So it comes pretty close to the real deal and it's definitely good enough that you won't care about any differences.
Pork shoulder roasts, or butt roasts, come in a couple of different preparations. The least processed is the bone-in, skin-on roast and the most processed is the boneless, skinless pack. I prefer using the bone-in roasts because that bone imparts some awesome flavor during this slow cooking process. If your roast comes with skin on, remove the skin. I find it easiest to start at a corner and once you get a little flap up, it's pretty easy to just pull that tab up and run the knife edge along the bottom side of the skin. Careful not to hack the actual meat up too badly and make sure not to trim all the fat off during this process. That fat layer between the skin and meat is what's going to give that awesome, rich pork flavor to the roast.
Now, banana leaves. You may live in an area where there are no banana leaves available. I pity you. I happen to live in California where banana leaves can be purchased at the local supermarket and many folks have them growing in their yards and pay nothing. If you can't get banana leaves, or just don't want to use them, don't worry. This pork is awesome even without banana leaf. However, the leaves do impart that amazing, vegital sweetness that goes well with pork. In fact, it goes SO well with pork that Hawaiians flavor their Kahlua pork with sea salt and banana leaf and smoke. Nothing else. So if you have the means to use banana leaf, I encourage you to try it. And if you end up with a ton left over, like I did, you can vacuum freeze it and it lasts a good long time. So you can bust it out of the freezer next time you need some tamale wrappers!
I was feeling a SoCal vibe while making this so I was jamming to some Sublime. Some punk rock Sublime. Paddle Out.
Cochinita Pibil
Prep time: 1 day
Cook time: 12-14 hours
Difficulty: easy
Serves: loads of people
- 10-12 lb pork shoulder roast (bone in is preferred)
- 10 cloves garlic, pealed
- 1 habanero pepper (deseeded)
- 5 puya peppers (deseeded)
- 2 limes (juice of both, zest of one)
- 2 oranges (juice and zest of both)
- 1 tsp whole cloves (about 8)
- 1 tbsp whole peppercorns
- 1 tbsp Mexican oregano
- 1 tsp whole cumin seed (1 1/2 tsp ground can be substituted)
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 six inch stick canela (1 tsp ground cinnamon can be substituted)
- 3 tbsp ground annatto seeds (can be omitted but will change flavor and color)
- 2 tbsp salt
- 2 tsp grated piloncillo (dark brown sugar can be substituted)
- 1 large banana leaf
- 2 cups water
Place the pork roast in a marinating container or bag and thoroughly coat with the marinade. Let marinate in the fridge over night.
If using banana leaves, cut into six inch strips and line the bottom and sides of the slow cooker with the leaves, covering the entire surface. Place the pork roast in the slow cooker and cover with strips of banana leaf, folding and overhanging leaves into the center of the slow cooker. Add the two cups of water. Cover and cook.
Cook the roast on the low setting for twelve to fourteen hours, or until pork is fall apart tender. Reserve the liquid when removing the pork as you will want to add some back to the shredded meat to achieve the desired moistness. Also, any left over broth is great to make rice or quinoa with or to use for making tamale masa. P.S. After you make tamale masa with that delicious broth, fill them with that awesome pork!
This pork makes an excellent taco filling, or enchilada filling, or tamale filling, or whatever. Make pulled pork sandwiches out of it, or fry it up with some eggs. Taquitos. Just sayin.
