All,
Here is a recipe that I scavanged one time (I did not write it) that would probably work well in a smoker / grill (to add to the flavor of the recipe)...takes a bit of time but well worth it!
Begin Recipe
Robert Rodriguez' Puerco Pibil (or Cochinita Pibil) from Once Upon a Time in Mexico
"Are you a MexiCAN, or are you a MexiCAN'T?" If you're a MexiCAN, follow these instructions closely:
I've taken the liberty of transcribing Robert Rodriguez' recipe from his "10 Minute Cooking School" Featurette from the Once Upon a Time in Mexico DVD. It looks mouthwatering, and I can't wait to make it. As soon as I saw it, I thought about this forum.
Clean up the kitchen, fellow SpoTTies.
You'll need:
3-5 lbs. of pork butt
1/2 cup of orange juice
1/2 cup of white vinegar
Banana leaves (usually found at mexican and asian markets)
5 tablespoons of annatto seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seed
5 lemons
1 tablespoon black pepper
8 allspice nuggets
2 habanero peppers
1/2 teaspoon of cloves
2 tablespoons of salt
8 cloves of garlic
Tequila. Lots of Tequila. Mmmm.
Casserole pan
Aluminum Foil
1 Big-[censored] ziploc bag
a coffee grinder
a blender
Now, Rodriguez suggests you buy a separate coffee grinder to mix the raw seasonings, so not to cross-pollinate your spices with your coffee.
So...throw the annatto seeds, the cumin, the pepper, the cloves and the allspice into the coffee grinder and grind it into a super-fine, powdery dust. You'll combine it with some other stuff later to create Achiote Paste. Don't ask; keep reading.
Anyway, so you grind all that up until it's like drywall dust. Then dump it in the blender.
Chop up the habaneros, and be careful to remove the seeds and veins--unless you are SERIOUSLY down with super-spicy HEAT.
Then add the OJ, the vinegar, the juice from the five lemons, the salt, the garlic, and the chopped up habaneros into the blender as well, and add a "splash of the finest tequila you can find." Blend. Blend some more. Check it closely. This is your achiote paste. Blend some more, just in case. You don't want any chunks of this stuff lingering in your mouth.
Grab your pork butt (hehehe...that was completely accidental) and HACK it into 2" cubes--preferably with a machete, for that authentic Yucatan atmosphere. Dump the cubes into the "big-[censored] ziploc bag."
Dump in your achiote paste, and do the shake n' bake, without the baking part...yet. Just make sure the meat is completely marinating. Rodriguez doesn't say for how long, so I'm guessing 2-4 hours minimum. Correct me if you know better. I haven't made this yet.
Now, grab your banana leaves (hopefully they're fresh--more moisture), and line your casserole pan about three layers deep.
Dump your achiote paste-saturated pig butt into the pan. put more banana leaves on top, and wrap that spicy meat all up in those big 'ol leaves. Then SEAL the entire casserole pan up with aluminum foil to lock in all the moisture. That's what cooks the pork.
Get a friend to help you lug all that dead meat on over to an oven you've pre-heated to 325 degrees, and heft it in. Close that door and go watch dvds for four hours. If there's any tequila left, take that with you.
Rodriguez pulled this stuff out, and it looked just melt-in-your-mouth kinda good. Serve it over a bed of rice, and hey--anything else you want to serve with it."
End Recipe
I have made this before and it is exquisite...the achiote paste has a unique flavor but it very, very good. You can probably substitute a different cut of pork...may try it on a tenderloin.
Give it a shot and let us all know how it comes out...
Disclaimer: Kids will probably definately NOT like this...
Enjoy.
WhatFurrer
