After the breakneck pace of my Mexican tour thus far, I was happy to arrive in the idyllic town of Palenque. A modest, yet beautiful stop on our route, that skirted the edges of some bonafide Mexican jungle. There are many reasons why Palenque could potentially oust the competition, on its way to becoming my favourite location. It could have been the gorgeous waterfalls we visited on the way, where we supped rum poured directly into freshly cleavered coconuts. It could have been the local ruins, which to my mind were the most beautiful and intriguing of all those we visited. It could have been the barefoot trek through the jungle, where we hiked down waterfalls whilst howler monkeys and snakes rustled in the canopy above us. It could have been the long, pitch black walk back to our hotel on the second night where we witnessed shooting stars and I nearly walked face-first into a large tree. But being the rampant and unapologetic foodie I am, I would suggest that it is because outside of the ruins, served from a sun bleached cooler, by a little old local woman, was my ultimate Mexican food experience. Cochinita pibil.
Cochinita Pibil, in many regards shares a close familial bond with its now ubiquitous and overexposed American cousin, pulled pork. But to me Cochinita is so much more than that. The melting tender shreds of pork, still iridescent after bathing in their own juices during hours of slow cooking, is not coated with a cloyingly sweet barbecue sauce, but instead a fresh, tangy and delicately spiced marinade. Served in a softly yielding bun, it is topped with rich buttery avocado slices and acerbic fluorescently pink pickled onions. When I first sampled this sandwich I was blown away. This is not mere hyperbole folks, it was so good that every last person on the tour tasted one. Most of the guys ate two. I ordered another to take away. We were in such raptures that the dear old lady selling them looked distinctly embarrassed and somewhat uncomfortable with the praise we heaped upon her in our ineffectual broken spanish.
I knew immediately that this was a dish that I would have to reproduce and perfect. Below is the beta version. I have included only one ingredient this time that is difficult to acquire – the achiote paste. Achiote is known for its subtle heat, earthy flavours, woodsy aroma and shockingly orange/red colouration. You could substitute the achiote with 2tbsp paprika, 2tsp ground cumin and a pinch of saffron, but you would be doing my favourite dish a disservice. Do what you must, just don’t tell me.
Level: high
Methods: rendering spices, marinating
Skills: braising
Time: 4.5 hours (plus overnight marinading)
Makes: Serves 6 hungry people
Ingredients
For the marinade:
1tsp allspice berries
2tsp ground cumin seeds
½tsp cloves
1tsp peppercorns
100g achiote paste
3tbsp cider vinegar
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1tsp dried oregano
3 fresh bay leaves
2tbsp sea salt
3tbsp olive oil
juice of 6 oranges (about 450ml)
For the pork:
3kg neck of pork, cut into a few large pieces
1 Scotch bonnet pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
50g butter
To serve:
6 submarine rolls
2 red onions finely sliced
juice of 2 limes
2 avocados, thinly sliced
Method
1. To make the marinade, warm the spices in a dry frying pan for a few minutes then grind to a fine powder using a pestle and mortar.
2. Place in a blender with the achiote, vinegar, onion, garlic, herbs, salt and olive oil and pulse to start breaking up the achiote.
3. Slowly pour in the orange juice with the motor running to get a smooth paste.
4. Pour about two-thirds of the marinade over the pork, ensuring it is thoroughly coated. Refrigerate overnight.
5. The remaining marinade can be frozen and used for a smaller meal. It tastes great with simply grilled chicken or pork chops.
6. Now to make the pickled red onions. Cover the sliced onions with boiling water and allow to sit for ten minutes.
7. Drain and cover with the lime juice. Refrigerate overnight to macerate fully.
8. The next day, preheat the oven to 130C.
9. Transfer the pork and its marinade into a large casserole dish and add the chopped chilli and butter. Bring to a simmer on a medium hob.
10. Cover with foil and a tight-fitting lid and cook slowly for 3-4 hours until the pork is soft and falling apart.
11. Allow to cool slightly.
12. Meanwhile remove your onions from the fridge and bring to room temperature. Slice your rolls and prepare your avocado (always do this last minute to prevent it from browning.)
13. Using two forks, pull apart the pork into soft uneven shreds. Stir back into the remaining sauce and juices.
14. Dollop some pork into each bun, top with avocado and the pink pickled onions.
Mastication / Destination 