Best Mexican Pulled Pork Yucatan Style Recipes

AUTHENTIC COCHINITA PIBIL (SPICY MEXICAN PULLED PORK)

Steps:

• Combine the onion, habanero peppers, lime juice, and salt in a bowl; cover and refrigerate while preparing and cooking the pork. Use rubber gloves when preparing the habanero peppers and avoid touching your eyes, nose, or skin while slicing peppers.
• Place the guajillo peppers in a bowl; pour enough hot water over the peppers to cover. Allow to soak until the peppers are softened, about 10 minutes.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet at medium-high heat. Season pork with salt and pepper; cook in the hot oil until completely browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the pork to a slow cooker.
• Combine the guajillo peppers, orange juice, vinegar, garlic, and achiote paste in a blender; blend until smooth. Pour the sauce over the pork cubes in the slow cooker.
• Cook on High until the pork easily falls apart, 6 to 8 hours. Remove the pork to a serving dish and shred with 2 forks. Pour the achiote sauce over the shredded pork. To serve, top with the onion-habanero salsa.

COCHINITA PIBIL RECIPE FROM YUCATáN

Steps:

• Roast the banana leaf, if you bought it from the frozen section of the supermarket, wait until it is completely defrosted.
• To roast the banana leaf, place it directly over a medium hot fire of you gas stove, it will start changing color and getting some shiny while in contact with the fire. Make sure not to burn the leaves, we just want them to be pliable.
• Line your roasting pan with the oven bag and arrange the banana leaves overlapping as in the above picture. You can also use aluminum foil instead of the oven bag.
• In your blender, mix the Achiote (annatto) seasoning with the pepper and bitter orange juice. Add salt.
• Place the pork meat on the leaves. Pour the Achiote mixture over. And add the oil/lard to give it more flavor.
• Cover with the sliced onion and herbs. Fold the ends of the banana leaves over the pork.
• Close the oven bag and cut 3 or 4 slits according to packages instructions. If using aluminum foil wrap tightly . Add about 1 1/2 quarter of water to the roasting pan to create a steaming effect. One time, I forgot to add the water and it still came out great.
• Bake 2 1/2 hours in a preheated oven at 350 degrees. Add more water to the pan if needed.
• Remove roasting pan from oven and uncover the meat. The meat should be tender. If it isn't, cover and return to the oven for another 30 minutes.

MEXICAN PULLED PORK - YUCATAN STYLE

Steps:

• 1. Using a sharp knife, deeply pierce the flesh of the pork and insert garlic pieces evenly all over the roast.
• 2. Combine Achiote paste, cilantro, olive oil, cumin, salt, chile powder, pepper, liquid smoke, cloves, allspice, and oregano in a bowl and mix together to form a marinade 'paste'.
• 3. Cover pork generously with the seasoning paste. Use it all even if it looks like a lot! Marinade overnight in the refrigerator.
• 4. Place pork in a shallow foil tray - fat side up - and cook indirectly (meaning the burner(s) directly under the pork are not on, but the others are, and the top is down) on the grill for about 4 hours or until internal temp of about 160 degrees is reached. If using a smaller size roast, reduce the grill time accordingly - just monitor the internal temp.
• 5. Cover pork (still in its foil tray!) in aluminum foil and leave on the grill for another 60-75 minutes or until internal temp of 195 is reached. This is key - in order to be able to 'shred' pork from a shoulder you need to get the internal temp up to 195. I find those last 30-40 degrees seem to take forever, so I cover with foil to accelerate after it gets to 160. DON'T turn up the grill temperature - that won't work :)!
• 6. Remove from the grill after reaching 195 degrees and let rest under foil for 10 mins - retain pan drippings.
• 7. Remove and discard fat and skin and 'shred' the pork into thin strings by pulling it apart with a couple of forks. If you don't get it to 195 degrees, then it won't shred and you'll have to chop it - not a horrible thing, but not as good! Pour about half the pan drippings back over the shredded pork, mix, and serve with warm tortillas your favorite Latin condiments! Enjoy

COCHINITA PIBIL (MEXICAN PULLED PORK IN ANNATTO SAUCE)

Steps:

• Combine achiote paste, white onion, garlic, orange juice, lemon juice, 1/4 cup vinegar, 2 tablespoons salt, 1 tablespoon black pepper, and 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano in a blender; blend marinade until smooth.
• Rub pork with salt and pepper and place in a pressure cooker. Add lard and pour marinade over pork. Add 2 cups water. Close cooker securely and place pressure regulator over vent according to manufacturer's instructions. Heat to High heat until steam escapes in a steady flow and makes a whistling sound, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low or low. Cook for 45 minutes from the start of the whistling sound. Let pressure release naturally according to manufacturer's instructions, 5 to 10 minutes. Unlock lid and transfer pork to a large platter.
• Prepare the habanero sauce while the meat is cooking. Combine red onion and habanero chiles in a gravy boat. Add 1/2 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup white vinegar, and warm water. Season with salt, pepper, and dried oregano and mix until everything is well combined.
• Shred meat with 2 forks and return to the pressure cooker with the cooking juices. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook uncovered until cooking juices have reduced, about 30 minutes. Serve with habanero sauce.