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Top view of cochinita pibil garnished with pickled red onions and with a folded tortilla in a bowl.

Cochinita Pibil (Slow Roasted Pork)

Cochinita pibil succulent, tender, citrusy, and is a bit sweet. It's made with achiote, sour orange or seville orange garlic, garlic, thyme, oregano, marjoram, salt, and pepper.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Servings: 6 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 lb pork butt roast
  • 1.75 oz achiote paste half of a 3.5 oz packaged achiote paste
  • 3/4 cup sour orange or seville orange juice or substitute 1/4 cup lime juice, 1/4 cup orange juice, and 1/4 cup grapefruit juice.
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp mexican oregano
  • 1 tsp marjoram
  • 2 tsp fine sea salt
  • black pepper to taste

Method
 

  1. Combine achiote paste, sour orange or (substitute lime juice, orange juice, grapefruit juice), salt, black pepper, minced or grated garlic, thyme, oregano, and marjoram into a bowl. Stir until achiote paste is dissolved. Or combine these ingredients in a blender and blend until achiote paste is dissolved.
  2. Place pork in a bowl or container and add achiote mixture to it. Let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight. If you're short on time, no need to marinate (skip to the next step).
  3. Preheat oven to 300°F.
  4. Transfer the pork to a large pot along with the all the marinade.
  5. Add enough water so that half to three-quarters of the meat is submerged.
  6. Braise in the oven for 3 hours or until meat is tender and is easily shredded with a fork.
  7. Remove the pork from the pot and transfer to a bowl. If necessary let it cool down and then shred the meat.
  8. Return the shredded meat to the pot. Turn the heat on the stove to a low to medium low. Heat meat for a few minutes to warm back up if needed and to let it soak up more of the consome or juices.
To serve
  1. Serve with corn tortillas, pickled red onions, and habanero salsa

Notes

  1. You can also use pork ribs, country style ribs, or pork shoulder. Cuts of pork that have plenty of fat and connective tissue, which when you cook at low temperatures and for several hours it becomes tender.
  2. You can cut the pork butt or pork shoulder into medium to large chunks if desired. This will make it easier for the meat to get cooked and it can reduce the cook time as well.
  3. Check after three hours if the meat is tender when shredded with a fork. If it shreds easily, it’s ready. If it’s not ready yet, continue cooking and check every 15 to 30 minutes or until the meat is tender. The internal temperature of the meat should reach to about 205°F for very tender results.
  4. Spoon some of the consome or broth from the juices the meat releases during the slow cooking onto your cochinita pibil. It will provide an extra layer of rich flavor to the meat.