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Cochinita Pibil Tostadas a la \"Mike\" aka L.R.

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Comments

  • Beli
    Beli Posts: 10,751
    Barry any banana leaf will do.....
  • Ross in Ventura
    Ross in Ventura Posts: 7,234
    Great looking food Beli, it looks like you are back

    Ross
  • Beli
    Beli Posts: 10,751
    Tks Ross.....I'm feeling a bit better today and since I'm at home got more time to cook ;)
  • citychicken
    citychicken Posts: 484
    sorry to steal your thunder beli, just thought i would add to your wonderful post.

    this is a from a post earlier this year. it includes a recipe that i used to make the pibil and it turned out wonderful.

    you may also try this link for additional info.

    http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=620721&catid=1

    The Legend of Puerco Pibil

    We first encountered Puerco Pibil (also called Cochinita Pibil) at Outdoor Homeʼs July
    cooking class presented by Springfield restauranteur James Clary. We loved the spicy
    aroma and unique flavor of the roast pork and tried it out in our Egg the next week.
    While investigating possible variations on the theme, we discovered some interesting
    tidbits about the dish. The traditional Puerco Pibil is wrapped in banana leaves and
    buried in an underground fire pit, much like a Hawaiian luau preparation. “Cochinita”
    translates as “small pig”, where “puerco” is simply “pork”. So, a true Cochinita Pibil
    would be a small pig, roast whole in the spicy mix, while Puerco Pibil would be a pork
    shoulder or butt prepared in this fashion.
    The dish was made famous among fans of a somewhat obscure film (Once Upon a
    Time in Mexico) starring Johnny Depp. Deppʼs character (Agent Sands) is obsessed
    with the dish and orders it throughout the movie. At one point, when the dish is
    particularly well prepared he feels he must murder the chef, or the world will be out of
    balance. Producer Robert Rodriguez included a short film in the DVD release of the
    movie where he prepares Puerco Pibil. Most recipes you will find on the internet for the
    dish are variations or direct copies of the one he gives in the DVD.
    Claryʼs interpretation of the dish as a BGE candidate adds a new dimension of flavor to
    the dish and a unique approach to BGE cooking (that can be used on other meats as
    well). By cooking over an open fire, but closed up in the Egg, the meat stays moist (as it
    does in the closed vessel oven method) but develops a smoky flavor that deliciously
    balances the spice. That smoky element is missing when the dish is roast in an oven.
    But, cooking the meat in a pot full of marinade is a unique approach to cooking in the
    Egg (hey, thatʼs what we all expect from James!).
    Today we have blended my favorite elements of the Rodriguez recipe with my favorite
    elements of Claryʼs. Itʼs easy to find those two on the internet (Google Puerco Pibil for
    the Rodriguez recipe and Jamesʼ is on the Outdoor Home website). Our recipe as weʼve
    prepared it today is on the opposite side of this page.

    Jeff & Nancy Farris
    jeffinsgf@wildblue.net

    The Recipe for Puerco Pibil

    ¾ cup achiote paste (Latino Market on St. Louis, a couple blocks west of Glenstone)
    10 cloves of garlic, chopped (a little more doesnʼt hurt)
    ½ cup orange juice
    ½ cup red wine vinegar
    ¼ cup tequila
    juice of 2 limes
    juice of 4 lemons
    3 or 4 fresh habanero chilis chopped (Seeds in = HOT! No seeds = zippy! We leave a few.)
    8 bay leaves, crumbled
    2 teaspoons cumin seeds
    ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
    2 teaspoons ground thyme
    2 teaspoons fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon of dried)
    1 tablespoon sea salt
    2 teaspoons fresh cracked pepper
    4-5 pound pork butt (bone in, if you can find it)

    Mix together all of the ingredients (except the pork) in a medium sized mixing bowl.
    Traditionally, the pork is cut into two inch cubes. James Clary did his for the class as
    whole roasts that were shredded when done. There are advantages to each approach.
    The cubes will cook a bit quicker and give more surface area for the spice to work in. I
    think the bone is an essential flavoring for roasts, making the whole roast approach
    more appealing. For the EGGstravaganza weʼre going to try a hybrid approach, leaving
    some meat on the bone and cutting some into large chunks. However you choose to
    prepare the meat, once it is ready, toss it thoroughly with the marinade. Heavy duty
    Ziploc® bags are our favorite tool for this job. Let the meat marinate at room
    temperature for at least 4 hours -- more is better.
    Light the Egg and adjust the temperature to 225 - 250. Add smoking chips or chunks.
    We use hickory blended with cherry at about a 60/40 ratio. Put the meat and the
    marinade in a pot and place it in the Egg. We use a Dutch oven that we bought just for
    this purpose. The pot is going to come out of the Egg pretty ugly looking, so this is not
    a job for your (or your significant otherʼs) favorite stew pot. Plastic or Bakelite handles
    would seem like a really bad idea, too. Cook with the Egg closed and vented for an
    even temperature and the lid off the stew pot (so the smoke can reach the meat) for
    about 6 hours if whole, 4 to 5 if cubed. When the meat falls from the bone and shreds
    easily, remove from the Egg and pull the meat out of the sauce. Let it cool a bit, then
    shred the pork, pulling it apart with your hands. Iʼm not much for using gloves in the
    kitchen, but the achioteʼs red color stains your hands for days. Iʼm using gloves this
    time. Skim the fat off the sauce, then pour most of it over the shredded meat. Serve
    the meat as an entree over rice, or use it as a filling for tacos or burritos. We like it as a
    taco on small corn tortillas with a bit of fresh cilantro and some chopped onion. I think it
    would be great as a burrito with a pile of cilantro rice and some Mexican white cheese.
  • Beli
    Beli Posts: 10,751
    TKS Mark...think I got it as well...a little time consuming but well worth it...
  • "Sparky"
    "Sparky" Posts: 6,024
    Dang Beli,that looks great :woohoo: When you come up to the smokehouse,I'll let ya make those for me :whistle: :P :lol: Great pics man B)
  • Beli
    Beli Posts: 10,751
    Doug......I'll cook for you & your family free of charge... :P indefinitely.....just keep me withing reaching distance of the fridge with the cool ones.... :)
  • They look excellent, Beli. I am so glad to see you cooking the past two days. I guess egging has the added
    benefit of making you feel better! And that is some good looking comfort food.

    Faith
    Tampa, FL
    Happily egging on my original large BGE since 1996... now the owner of 5 eggs. Call me crazy, everyone else does!
     
    3 Large, 1 Small, 1 well-used Mini
  • Beli
    Beli Posts: 10,751
    Faith....feeling much better now TKS .......and having the spare time, egging seems to be the best way to spend it