Authentic Cochinita Pibil Recipe Yucatán, Mexico

Grind the achiote seeds, the oregano, the black pepper, the cumin, the cloves, and the cinnamon in a spice grinder until fine as dust. It might be necessary to grind the spices in batches.

Add the ground spices to a blender together with garlic, a tablespoon of salt, and sour orange juice. Mix until smooth, meaning no grittiness or lumps.

Add the marinade and the meat to a large bowl or a large plastic bag. Combine the two until the meat is well coated in the marinade.

Cover the bowl or close the plastic bag and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Cut off the hard edge where the leaf attaches to the central rib off of every banana leaf. Then, cut one banana leaf into three sections that are 1 foot (30 cm) longer than the roasting pan.

Line the roasting pan with the banana leaves, taking care they overlap a lot and that they hang over the edges of the pan. Transfer the meat and the marinade into the roasting pan. Fold the banana leaves over the meat.

Cut another banana leaf into three sections the same as before. Cover the meat with the cut leaves, making sure the sections overlap, then tuck the leaves around the sides of the meat.

To cook on a grill, heat a gas grill to medium-high. If using a charcoal grill, set charcoal on fire — wait until it burns completely, and the coals are covered in grey ash and hot.

Then, set the burners in the center of the gas grill to medium-low. If using a charcoal grill, mound the charcoal on both sides of the grill, then place the grill grate in its place.

Place the pan on a grill grate, then clove the grill. Grill for about 4 hours until the meat is so soft it can be cut with a spoon. If the grill has a thermometer, keep the temperature at 300-350°F/150-180°C at all times. If using a charcoal grill, to achieve an even temperature, add charcoal every half hour.

If baking in the oven, cover the roasting pan with aluminum foil and bake at 325°F/160°C for 4 hours.

When the meat is ready, take it out of the oven and remove the banana leaves. Tilt the pan to one side, so the juices are all gathered on one side, then with a spoon, collect the fat on top. If needed, season the meat with more salt.

For the pickled onions, place the onions into a non-aluminum bowl. Pour over with boiling water and let the onions sit for 10 seconds in the water.

Drain the onions, then add them back to the non-aluminum bowl. Next, add the sour orange juice and 1 ½ teaspoon of salt and mix.

Keep covered until it’s time for serving.

For habanero salsa, roast the chiles and the garlic in a grease-free skillet, often turning so it does not burn. Once soft and dotted with black spots, take out of the skillet — it will approximately take 5-10 minutes for the chiles and 15 minutes for the garlic. Let cool completely.

Peel the garlic, then add it to the blender together with chiles, lime juice, and water (about 2-4 tablespoons). Blend until smooth and spoonable; if necessary, add more water to achieve the right consistency. It should taste gingerly. Season with ½ teaspoon of salt; add more if needed.

When it's time to serve the dish, drain the onions and place them in a bowl.

Serve cochinita pibil inside the roasting pan with a large fork and spoon — the fork for shredding the meat and the spoon for spooning the juices. Alternatively, you can cut the meat into bite-sized pieces.

Place the drained pickled onions on the table with the meat, together with the habanero salsa and the warmed corn tortillas.

To eat, top a corn tortilla with shredded meat, meat juices, a bit of pickled onion, and a drop of habanero salsa.