Cochinita Pibil (Yucatán Slow-Roasted Pork)
Photo: Adri Valls / Unsplash
Pork shoulder marinated in achiote and sour orange, wrapped in banana leaves and slow-roasted until it falls apart. Served in tortillas with bright pink pickled onions.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Make the marinade
Blend the achiote paste, orange juice, 100 ml of lime juice, garlic, cumin, oregano, allspice and 2 teaspoons of salt until smooth. Together, the orange and lime imitate the Seville-style sour orange used in Yucatán.
Marinate the pork
Put the pork in a bowl, pour over the marinade and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight for the best flavour.
Wrap in banana leaves
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Slow-roast
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Pickle the onions
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Shred and serve
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Make the marinade
Blend the achiote paste, orange juice, 100 ml of lime juice, garlic, cumin, oregano, allspice and 2 teaspoons of salt until smooth. Together, the orange and lime imitate the Seville-style sour orange used in Yucatán.
Marinate the pork
Put the pork in a bowl, pour over the marinade and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight for the best flavour.
Wrap in banana leaves
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Slow-roast
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Pickle the onions
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Shred and serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Pibil comes from the Maya word píib, an underground pit oven. The Maya cooked game wrapped in leaves in these earth ovens for hours; after the Spanish brought pigs, pork became the meat of choice, and cochinita means 'little pig'.
In Yucatán it's a weekend breakfast tradition: families line up early at market stalls in Mérida for cochinita tacos and tortas.
⭐ Why It's Famous
The earthy, peppery achiote and tangy citrus give it an unmistakable red colour and a flavour found nowhere else in Mexico.
💡 Fun Fact
Some families in Yucatán still dig a píib in the backyard and bury the pork overnight on hot stones for special occasions.
Yucatán Peninsula (Mérida)
20.97°N, -89.59°W
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