Smoked Cochinita Pibil
Cochinita Pibil is a traditional Mexican dish from the Yucatán Peninsula where pork is marinated in achiote spice paste and citrus juices. Smoking adds an additional smoky note that beautifully complements the earthy and spicy achiote marinade. The result is tender, juicy meat with a deep red color and an incomparable flavor.
Ingredients(for 1 kg)
Instructions
Prepare marinade
20 minutesBlend achiote paste with orange juice, lime juice, garlic, cumin, oregano, and salt into a smooth paste. Generously rub the pork (shoulder or leg) with it and wrap in banana leaves. Marinate in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours.
Smoker preparation
30 minutesPreheat the smoker to 110-125 °C. Use orange wood chips and mesquite chunks in a 2:1 ratio. Remove the marinated, banana leaf-wrapped meat from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature for 30 minutes.
Smoking
10-14 hoursSmoke the wrapped meat at 110-125 °C until a core temperature of 93-96 °C is reached. Add smoking wood every 2 hours and monitor the temperature. After 6 hours, wrap the meat in aluminum foil to retain moisture.
Resting and pulling
45 minutesRemove the meat from the smoker and let it rest for 45 minutes. Then remove the banana leaves and pull the meat apart into fibers using two forks. Mix the resulting meat juices with the pulled meat.
Pro Tip
Briefly toast banana leaves over an open flame until soft and pliable before wrapping the meat. This intensifies the aroma and prevents the leaves from tearing.
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