Cochinita Pibil (Yucatán-Style Pork) Taco Recipe

Cochinita Pibil (Yucatán-Style Pork) Taco Recipe

In the Yucatán, where the sky meets the sea and the earth holds ancient secrets, there lives a dish as vibrant as the sun itself: cochinita pibil.

This is my take on this ancient recipe .

Ingredients

1/4 c corn oil
3 lbs pork loin cut into 3-inch pieces
Green bell pepper, Sliced
Red bell pepper, Sliced
Onion, Sliced
4 c fresh orange juice
4 to 5 Chipotle chilies in adobe, chopped. Adobe sauce reserved.
1/2 tbsp Dried cilantro
2  tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 c chicken broth, beef broth, or water
Salt and pepper to taste. Use less if using broth.
8 flour Tortillas

This is what you do:

Step 1: preheat over to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Step 2: in a Dutch over heat the oil over medium high heat, brown the pork on all sides, in batches. About 6 mins per batch. Using a slotted spoon transfer each batch to a bowl. When all the meat is brown, return it to the pan. 

Step 3: add the green and red bell peppers, onion, two cups of orange juice, two or 3 of the chilis, half of the cilantro, and all the cumin, coriander, red pepper flakes, broth, salt, and pepper

Step 4: cover and bake until tender, about 3 hours. Stir every hour.

Step 5: using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat and vegetables to a plate, reserve liquid.  Let the meat cool to touch, then pull it apart to bite sized chunks,

Step 6: reduce the remaining pan liquid by half over medium high heat.

Step 7: return the meat and vegetables to the reduced liquid. Add the remaining 2 cups orange juice, the reserved adobo sauce, and the remaining chilis and cilantro.

Step 8: taste and adjust the seasoning. Reheat the mixture over medium low heat until most of the liquid is absorbed.

To serve, divide the pork among the tortillas, top with cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and salsa choice.