Cochinita Pibil Sliders
Cochinita Pibil is a delicious Yucatecan dish, and these sliders recipe is a creative, yet simpler way to enjoy it.
Ingredients
Pork filling
- 6 lbs of pork shoulder, shoulder blade, shoulder, or loin, cut into large cubes
- 2 white onions, finely chopped in julienne
Marinade/"recado"
- 0.4 lbs of achiote paste
- ½ tbsp of ground black pepper
- ½ tsp of cracked pepper
- ½ tsp of ground cloves
- 2 tsp of cumin
- 1 tsp of cinnamon
- 1 head of garlic, minced (12-15 cloves)
- 1 tsp of oregano
- 1 guajillo chili, hydrated in 1 cup hot water. Can be substituted with 1⁄2 tsp piquin chili (optional)
- Salt, to taste (approx. 1 tsp.)
Sauce
- ¼ cup of cochinita pibil juice that comes out after it is cooked.
- 1 cup of sour cream
- 2 tsp chopped cilantro
Slider toppings
- Pickled red onion to taste
- 3 sliced radishes
- 1 bunch of cilantro, for garnish
- 1 Roasted habanero
You'll also need
- Honduran coconut bread for sliders (Or brioche bread)
- 6 large banana leaves (for wrapping the pork in)
Instructions
- Lightly roast 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 2 teaspoons of cumin, 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves, and 1 teaspoon of oregano in a hot pan.
- Before hydrating the guajillo pepper, cut the stem, and take the seeds out. Then, put it in hot water for two minutes.
- Add the spices to a blender, along with the black pepper, garlic cloves, and guajillo chili, along with some of the water you used to hydrate it. Then, before putting the achiote inside the blender, crush it slightly and add it to the mix. Remember to use gloves to avoid staining your fingers when handling the achiote. Lastly, add 1 1⁄2 cup of sour orange juice and blend it all together.
- To prepare the pickled onions, cut them into julienne and put them in hot water for two minutes. Then, drain the water and add the juice of two lemons and two tablespoons of vinegar.
- Take 6 pounds of your favorite pork cut and chop it into manageable pieces. Put the pork chops inside a large bowl, and pour over the "recado.” Make sure you are wearing gloves, and massage the pork carefully to cover every chop with the marinade. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it marinate inside the fridge overnight (6-8 hours would be fine)
- When your pork is thoroughly marinated, prepare the container to cook it. Place a few long banana leaves in your container until you cover the entire base and some sides. Then put the pork inside. Pour over all the marinade and add the julienned onions. Then, wrap well with more banana leaves and cover it with the container's lid.
- Cook the pork in a preheated oven at 325 ºF or 160 ºC for 5 to 6 hours approximately.
- Take the pork out of the oven and let it rest for 20 minutes.
- While the pork is resting, prepare the toppings. First, the creamy sauce. Mix 1/4 cup of cooked cochinita pibil juice, 1 cup of sour cream, and 1 to 2 teaspoons of chopped cilantro. To finish, top the mix with salt and pepper. Then, take the habanero and roast it slightly. You can put the habanero directly over a burner, just enough to roast the skin a bit.
- Shred the pork with a fork and put it inside a bowl. Then pour all the cooking juice over it.
- To build the sliders, spread the creamy sauce on both bread slices. Add the cochinita pibil, and top it with pickled onions. Lastly, assemble the slider with the top bun slice.
- Serve your juicy cochinita pibil sliders with roasted habaneros, sliced radishes, and fresh lime wedges. Finally, you can experience its sweet, tangy, and fresh taste and incredibly juicy mouthfeel!
Video
Notes
