Cochinita Pibil

Silvio Campos

El jefe de cocina Silvio Campos de Tixkokob, cerca de Mérida, es famoso de su Cochinita Pibil. Cochinita pibil es Yucatán tradicional el plato de la carne de cerdo asado del modo lento del origen maya.  Preparación de la tradicional cochinita pibil consiste en marinar la carne en adobo fuertemente ácido hecho de pasta de achiote (semilla de achiote, hierbas y especias) y el jugo de naranja amarga. La semilla de achiote imparte un color naranja quemado vivo. La carne es entonces envuelto en hoja de plátano y asada en un hoyo.  Cochinita quiere decir el cerdo joven, por tanto cochinita pibil verdadero implica asar un cerdo de mamón entero.  Alternativamente se pueden utilizar cortes de carne de cerdo maduro porque el alto contenido ácido de la marinada y la cocción lenta ablanda la carne.  Las recetas siempre emplean el jugo de Sevilla o de naranjas amargas para adobar. En áreas donde no son comunes naranjas amargas, jugo de naranjas dulces combinado con pomelo y limas puede utilizarse para aproximar el efecto de la naranja amarga.  Tradicionalmente, la cochinita pibil está enterrado en un hoyo con un fuego en la parte inferior. La palabra maya pibil significa "enterrado".  Para hablantes de inglés Rick Bayless tiene una receta publicada en inglés de Silvio. También puede ver un vídeo de Rick que incluye alguna entrevista de Silvio en español, entonces Rick va a cavar un hoyo en su jardín en casa.  Para los hablantes de español, una comprobación rápida de Internet produjo muchas recetas diferentes. Pero tenga cuidado, porque algunos eran excesivamente simplificado y todos utilizan un horno en lugar de hoyo para asar.  Probablemente el mejor plan sería tomar un viaje a Tixkokob y deje que Silvio Campos cocinar para usted. Incluso podrá vender un poco de su pasta del achiote, entonces usted puede ir a casa a cavar un hoyo en su jardín como Rick.

Ingredients for Cochinita Pibil

Achiote Paste and the annatto seed pods

Chef Silvio Campos of Tixkokob, near Merida, is famous for his Cochinita Pibil.  Cochinita pibil is a traditional Yucatán slow-roasted pork dish of Mayan origin.  Preparation of traditional cochinita pibil involves marinating the meat in strongly acidic marinade made from achiote paste (annatto seed, herbs, and spices) and the juice of bitter orange. The annatto seed imparts a vivid burnt orange color. The meat is then wrapped in banana leaf and roasted in a pit.  Cochinita means baby pig, so true cochinita pibil involves roasting a whole suckling pig.  Alternatively cuts of mature pork can be used because the high acid content of the marinade and the slow cooking time tenderizes the meat.  The recipes always employ the juice of Seville or bitter oranges for marinating.  In areas where bitter oranges are not common, juice of sweet oranges combined with grapefruit and limes can be used to approximate the effect of the bitter orange. It is usually eaten with tortillas, red pickled onion, black beans and roasted habanero salsa. Traditionally, cochinita pibil is buried in a pit with a fire at the bottom.  The Mayan word pibil means "buried".  For English speakers Rick Bayless has a recipe published in English from Silvio.  You may also watch a video of Rick that includes some interview of Silvio in Spanish, then Rick goes off to dig a pit at home.  For Spanish speakers, a quick check of the Internet produced many different recipes. But take care because some were overly simplified and all used an oven instead of pit roasting.  Probably a better plan would be to take a trip to Tixkokob and let Silvio Campos cook for you.  He'll even sell you a bit of his achiote paste then you can go home a dig a pit in your yard like Rick.

                      

Barbacoa

What better way to spend Christmas than to join in on a fiesta, and what better fiesta than one devoted to barbeque or in Mexico barbacoa. For Mexicans barbacoa means a pit cooked lamb or goat. For this barbacoa goat is the choice and the restaurant is La Capilla. La Capilla, located in Zaachila,specializes in barbacoa. How good is La Capilla, it’s been Rick Bayless’ choice at Christmas for 20 years. What does one of the guidebooks say, it’s a large outdoor place catering to bus tours. Who are you going to believe? La Capilla has a large outdoor space with numerous long thatched roof sheds, a kids play area, parrots, monkeys, hammocks, and barbacoa pits. If your thinking southern style barbeque pits, think again. These above ground pits replicate the time honored technique of digging a hole, putting some rocks in the bottom, building a big fire, then when the fire burns down throwing the meat in, covering it then coming back in half a day. It is much trickier than that and La Capilla has it all sorted out. The pit at La Capilla is above ground made of abobe. The ‘hole’ is about 3x6 and around 3 feet deep surrounded by about 4 feet of abobe on all sides. A fire gets built in the pit for some 8 to10 hours reaching 700 to 800 degrees fahrenheit. The goat has been taken apart before going into the pit, a blood pudding made using the stomach as a container, a pot of soup with the ribs seasoned with adobo balanced on top and the head whole. All this then gets covered with avocado leaves, a straw mat, a sheet metal lid, and earth for insulation. Now wait 6 hours. Nice that there’s someone who is willing to do this for you.

This fiesta starts at the end of that last 6 hours. La Capilla has buried a bottle of mescal (or two) in the dirt above the goat so we begin with a toast to the goat. Next comes the uncovering. The restaurant staff take the goat to be divided and plated and we sit down to beer, mescal, memelas (soft tortillas spread with asiento, black beans and queso fresca), and tlayudas (large toasted blue corn tortillas with asiento, black bean, chorizo, tasajo, tomato, and avocado). So what’s this asiento stuff? It’s the stuff from the bottom of the pot when you render lard. Next up is the soup, then the main plate of goat, blood sausage or Morcilla, more beans, and vegetables. Don’t forget to save room for dessert.

If you want to try this at home Rick Bayless has a book, Fiesta at Rick's and a video featuring barbacoa to start you on your way. For more pictures please check out my Picasa web album.