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A close up of a cochinita pibil taco.
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5 from 1 vote

Cochinita Pibil

Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time3 minutes
Marinate Time13 hours
Servings: 8
Calories: 392kcal
Author: Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

pibil

  • 2 tablespoons annatto seeds
  • 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
  • 2 ½ teaspoons coriander seeds
  • 2 ½ teaspoons Mexican Oregano can sub. Italian oregano
  • 1 ½ teaspoons black peppercorns
  • 6 whole cloves
  • 1 (2 inch) piece cinnamon stick
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • ¾ cup lime juice (6-8 limes)
  • ½ cup orange juice (2 medium oranges)
  • 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 pound boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into large chunks
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 pound banana leaves, thawed (unless fresh)

pickled red onions

  • ¾ cup white vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 bay leaf, lightly crushed
  • 4 allspice berries
  • 3 whole cloves
  • 1 large red onion, peeled, and thinly sliced

cilantro-crema

  • ½ bunch cilantro
  • ⅔ cup Mexican crema can use sour cream plus 1 1/2 tablespoons milk

assembly

  • 16 to 25 small corn tortillas, grilled
  • queso fresco
  • radishes, thinly sliced
  • cilantro leaves
  • lime wedges

Instructions

  • Place first 7 ingredients into a spice grinder or mortar and finely grind. Place spice mixture into a mixing bowl and add shallots, garlic, lime juice, orange juice, and oil. Whisk together.
  • Season pork shoulder with salt and place into a roasting pan or large baking dish lined with layers of banana leaves. Pour marinade over pork shoulder and generously rub all over meat.
  • Cover pork with remaining banana leaves and top with a damp towel. Place in refrigerator and allow pork to marinate for 12 hours (overnight).
  • Preheat oven to 325°F.
  • Remove towel from pork and allow pork to sit out at room temperature for 1 hour. Add 1 cup water to the baking dish and place in oven. Slow roast for about 3 hours or until tender enough to pull apart with two forks.
  • Remove from oven and allow pibil to sit for 15 minutes. Uncover pork from banana leaves and shred. Adjust seasonings if needed and serve with beans and rice or in tacos.
  • pickled onions: Place all ingredients, except onions, into a small saucepan and simmer until sugar dissolves. Place onions into a mixing bowl and top with pickling mixture. Cover and allow mixture to sit for at least 1 hour. Serve.
  • cilantro crema: Place ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth. Serve.
  • To assemble: Top grilled tortillas with pibil and finish with pickled onions, crema, radishes and cilantro. Serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 392kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 407mg | Potassium: 593mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 185IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 133mg | Iron: 3mg