Christmas Remixed

Puerco Pibil

And now for something completely different. From the Yucatan Peninsula, a recipe with a variety of unusual ingredients that make this dish special.


We ventured off to both Indian and Asian grocery stores to find the spices and banana leaves for this delicious meal.

Puerco Pibil 

(Mexican slow-roasted pork)

5 pounds pork butt - trim and discard fat. Cut meat into pieces.

5 TB annatto seeds

2 tsp. cumin seeds

1 TB whole black peppercorns

1/2 tsp. whole cloves

8 whole allspice berries

2 jalapeno or habanero peppers, finely chopped (discard seeds or keep for extra heat)

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup white vinegar

8 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons salt

5 lemons

1 shot of tequila

banana leaves (not essential)

Method

Purchase a grinder that you'll use just for grinding spices. We found a Mr. Coffee grinder that worked pretty well.

Place the annatto and cumin seeds, plus the whole peppercorns, whole cloves and allspice berries in grinder. 

Process until you have a fine powder. Set aside.

Using a food processor or a blender, process the orange juice, vinegar, salt, whole garlic cloves and chopped peppers. Add the spice powder, the lemon juice and a shot of tequila and blend well.

Place the pork in a ziploc bag and add the blended ingredients. Seal and let rest a few minutes while preparing the pan. 

If you're using banana leaves, take them out of the package and get a photo of them. 

In a large roasting pan, place banana leaves on the bottom. If not using the leaves, just pour the pork and marinade into the pan.

Pour the pork and marinade onto the leaves.  

Cover with more banana leaves.

With or without the banana leaves, now is the time to cover the pan with aluminum foil. Seal the edges well.

Bake in a 325 F degree oven for 4 hours. Remove from oven and carefully remove foil.

The unveiling.

Serves 4-6 people. Nice with basmati rice. 


Basmati Rice

Soak 2 cups of rice in water for a half hour. Place rice in sieve and rinse until water runs clear. Place in pan with 4 cups of water. Add about 1/2 tsp. salt if desired. Cover. Bring to boil and immediately reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes.

Makes 4 cups cooked rice.