Conchinita Pibil

Name: Conchinita Pibil
Yield: serves 6 to 8
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons annatto paste; 1/2 cup fresh lime juice; 1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice; 1/4 teaspoon crumbled dried oregano; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 2 teaspoons salt; 4 pounds pork butt, cut into 2-inch pieces; Two 4-to 5-foot-long banana leaves (see page 95), plus more for garnish (optional); 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted; Twelve to sixteen 6-inch corn tortillas; Pickled Onions (page 186)

December 20, 2011

The thing I love the most about Mexico is that everything has a story. In this recipe the word pibil comes from a Mayan word for stone-lined pits, used for cooking underground. Today pibil refers to the technique of steaming meat in a sealed dish in the oven. In the Yucatán, where this dish comes from, it is prepared with Seville oranges, which are tart and bitter. These oranges aren’t readily available in other areas, including Baja, so here we add lime juice to give that distinctive kick.

Recipe notes

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