cochinita pibil

By sanmo_babe

Ingredients

• 1 3-4 pound pork shoulder
• 1/2 3.5 oz box of achiote paste (available in Latin markets or online)
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 2 cups orange juice
• 5-6 garlic cloves peeled and kind of crushed
• 1 medium yellow onion - peeled and sliced
• olive oil
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 limes - juice and zest
• 1 big handful of cilantro

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

Cut any big giant hunks of fat from the pork shoulder, but leave SOME of it for flavor. Dissolve the achiote paste in water. Marinate the pork shoulder with the achiote, orange juice, cumin and half the garlic - this should marinate for 2-3 hours.
Heat the oven to 250. Remove the pork from the marinade and pat it dry. Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven, and brown the pork - it will only get just so brown what with the fat melting and the residual marinade - that's OK. Add the onions and brown them a bit too.
Dump the marinade back in and add the broth, lime and cilantro. Braise it low and slow for 3-4 hours - until it is falling apart and you don't even need to think about using a knife.
Serve with refried black beans, additional limes and cilantro, corn tortillas.