2

I have made Pibil many times, though I'm looking to push it over the edge. I had the Pibil at this taco place in LA called Guisados and I have never really had anything like it. It seemed to be stewed after the initial roast and the taste of the achiote was incredibly strong.

Does anyone have any hard earned tips for making killer Cochinita Pibil.

underarock
  • 360
  • 1
  • 8
  • 2
    Can you clarify what exactly you're trying to improve? It sounds like you're pretty much answering your question at this point - you want something with more liquid in it (maybe cooked in the liquid for a bit) and more achiote paste. – Cascabel Nov 30 '12 at 02:55
  • I usually just roast it and then its done. Does anyone know of a second step in this process where you stew it and for how long for say 2 pounds of pork butt? – underarock Nov 30 '12 at 17:09

1 Answers1

2

Cochinita pibil is traditionally roasted wrapped in a banana leaf (foil will work as a modern substitute), so there should be enough liquid that the roasting isn't very different from stewing. After it's done roasting, you should let it rest in the liquid as well. If it held together really well, you may want to break it up/shred it a bit first. If you haven't been doing this already, it'll probably be enough to get you what you want.

If there's not enough liquid left for your tastes, you may want to leave more of the marinade in when you roast. If you still can't get enough, you can reserve some marinade separate from the meat at the beginning, and heat it and mix it in at the end. You can also supplement with broth. It's doubtful that you actually need to further cook in the liquid; the roasting should be enough to fully cook the meat, to the point of falling apart.

Cascabel
  • 58,065
  • 24
  • 178
  • 319
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gO8EiScBEjA – underarock Nov 30 '12 at 17:38
  • The term you're looking for is not roasting or stewing but "braising" - it results in moist, tender meat. – RI Swamp Yankee Nov 30 '12 at 20:18
  • @RISwampYankee Yes, braising is generally a good word for this. But stewing is fine if imprecise for cooking in liquid afterward (it means to boil slowly or with simmering heat). And while roasting does means dry heat, the term is still commonly used to refer to things like this, because though the meat is effectively braised, the package as a whole is roasted - it's placed in a dry oven. – Cascabel Nov 30 '12 at 23:28
  • fully aware of the cooking terms, and pretty much everything @Jefromi is where i was coming from. packaged things get a little fuzzy as to what you are actually doing to them. Personally I want a Broaster to mess with. – underarock Dec 01 '12 at 02:36