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Cochinita pibil in a Dutch oven.

Dutch Oven Cochinita Pibil

Carne Diem Culinary
Cochinita pibil is a traditional Yucatan smoked pork with Mayan roots. Let us show you how to make this Cochinita Pibil on your Grill or Smoker for some of the most succulent pork you have ever had.
5 from 4 votes
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Marinade time 8 hours
Total Time 14 hours 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican, North American
Servings 10
Calories 299 kcal

Equipment

  • Dutch Oven
  • Cooking Twine
  • Small Skillet

Ingredients
  

  • 4 pound Pork Butt or Pork Picnic Shoulder
  • 6 Banana Leaves
  • ½ Red Onion
  • Corn Tortillas For serving
  • Cilantro For serving
  • Salsa For Serving

Marinade

  • 1.5 Cups Sour Orange Juice See note
  • 2 tablespoons White Vinegar
  • 3.5 ounces Achiote Paste
  • 1 Habanero Pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Mexican Oregano Substitute regular oregano
  • 2 tablespoons Salt
  • ¾ teaspoon Cumin
  • ½ White Onion unpeeled
  • 4 Garlic Cloves unpeeled

Spice Mix

  • ½ teaspoon All Spice
  • ½ teaspoon Whole Cloves
  • ½ teaspoon Black Peppercorns
  • 2 Cinnamon Sticks
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 2 tablespoons Lard substitute butter or Ghee

Sour Orange Pickled Red Onions

  • ½ Cup Sour Orange Juice
  • ½ Red Onion cut into thin slices
  • 1 Habanero Pepper finely diced
  • 10 Black Peppercorns
  • 6 Whole Allspice
  • 1 Bay Leaf

Instructions
 

Sour Orange Pickled Onions

  • Thinly slice the red onion and place in a heat resistant bowl. Dice the habanero pepper and reserve.
  • Bring a pot of water to a boil then pour over the sliced onions. Stir, then let sit for 15 minutes. Drain then add to a bowl with the habaneros, allspice, and black peppercorns.
  • Add ½ cup of the sour orange juice to the mixture. Mix to combine, then cover and reserve until needed.

Marinade

  • Char the 4 whole garlic cloves and ½ white onion in a hot skillet of over an open flame, until the skins are dark and blistered.
  • Remove the skins and add to a food processor or blender.
  • Soak the achiote paste with the sour orange, and mix to disolve as much of the achiote paste as possible. Add to the food processor along with the oregano, salt, cumin, 1 habanero, and white vinegar.
  • Blend until well combined with a smooth consistancy.

Pork

  • Trim the excess fat from the outside of the pork butt. If using a whole shoulder remove the skin and exerior fat.
  • Score the surface of the pork butt in a checkerboard pattern, on all sides, about 1 inch deep.
  • Add the pork to a bowl with a lid and add the marinade. (Note: achiote may stain some plastics so glass bowls work better). Cover and allow to marinate overnight

Cooking the Cochinita Pibil

  • Preheat your grill or smoker to 250 degrees and set up for indirect heat.
  • Soak the banana leave in hot water for about 15 minutes until pliable.
  • Remove the pork from the marinade but reserve the marinade. Wrap the pork butt in banana leavesand tie with cooking twine. (You will still need a few pieces of banana leaves for later).
  • Melt the lard or butter in a small skillet over medium heat and add the cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice, bay leaves and black peppercorns. Cook until fragrant. Optionally you can place the lard and spices in a small cast iron pan on the grill or smoker during the first phase of cooking the pork.
  • Place the wrapped pork butt on the smoker and cook over indirect heat for 1.5-2 hours. You can attempt to get a smokier flavor by smoking longer but the banana leaves will tend to dry out and become brittle after about 2 hours.
  • Carfully remove the wrapped pork butt from the smoker and place in a cast iron Dutch oven. Unwrap the top of the posrk and add in the remaining sliced red onion, reserved marinade, and the bloomed spices with the melted lard.
  • Wrap the pork back up and top with additonal banana leaves. Place the top on the Dutch oven and place on the smoker. Increase the heat to 300 degrees and cook to an internal temperature of 205 degrees (typically about another 2-3 hours, but may vary).
  • Remove the pork from the smoker and carefully shread. Serve on corn tortillas with salsa, cilantro, and the pickled red onions.

Nutrition

Calories: 299kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 35gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 109mgSodium: 1516mgPotassium: 769mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 136IUVitamin C: 29mgCalcium: 58mgIron: 3mg
Keyword achiote, BBQ, Big Green Egg, Cast Iron, Dutch Oven, Oregano, Pork Butt, Pork Shoulder, red onion, Smoker, Sour Orange
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