What is Yucatan style?
A combination of lime, orange, and grapefruit juice mimics the flavor of Seville oranges commonly used in the Yucatán. Wrapping pork tightly in banana leaves helps trap moisture, resulting in tender meat. Smoking on the grill imparts the smokiness you’d expect from a traditional pib oven.
What does puerco pibil taste like?
Real cochinita pibil is far from mild or dry. True, it’s not spicy (the heat comes in the form of intensely hot condiments on the side), but it has a uniquely sweet, earthy aroma imparted by bitter Seville oranges, achiote, charred garlic, and a host of other spices.
What does La cochinita mean?
Cochinita means baby pig, so true cochinita pibil involves roasting a whole suckling pig. Alternatively, pork shoulder (butt roast), or pork loin is used in many recipes.
What kind of marinade do they use in the Yucatan?
Toasting the spices in oil develops flavor for the marinade. A combination of lime, orange, and grapefruit juice mimics the flavor of Seville oranges commonly used in the Yucatán. Wrapping pork tightly in banana leaves helps trap moisture, resulting in tender meat.
What kind of juice is used for Yucatecan pork?
There are only two remaining aromatics, and they are as essential to Yucatecan cuisine as the spices: charred garlic and bitter-orange (Seville orange) juice. Garlic can be charred directly over the flame of a gas burner. You can do it a whole head at a time, but it takes a good 10 minutes or so of constant attention.
What’s the difference between pulled pork and cochinita pibil?
What I didn’t realize was that the “cochinita pibil” served in the restaurants I’d been visiting in the United States had as much to do with actual cochinita pibil as Crock-Pot pulled pork has to do with true Southern-style barbecue. Real cochinita pibil is far from mild or dry.