If you have been paying attention to the Mexican food scene in recent years, you undoubtedly will be familiar with cochinita pibil. Taco shops around the world have begun to serve this delicious meat filling, but are you aware of what it actually contains?
This dish originates from the Yucatan Peninsula in the southeast of Mexico and can be described as a slow-cooked and marinated pork dish. Served both by itself and, most notably outside of Mexico, as meat for tacos, it’s a favorite now throughout the country and the world as a whole.
The first component of cochinita pibil is, without a doubt, the pork. Traditional versions of the dish start out with the meat of a suckling pig which has been carefully and painstakingly roasted for hours, conserving the tenderness of the meat. Some restaurants may opt to use normal pig, however.
The meat wouldn’t come out with its traditional result, however, if it weren’t for a few marinades that give it its characteristic taste. Bitter oranges, lemon, and limes are juiced to marinate the pork, giving it its characteristic slightly acidic and citrusy taste.
In addition, cochinita pibil is marinated in its secret marinade ingredient, achiote paste, which gives it its characteristic reddish-orange color.
Don’t forget to top your cochinita pibil with its typical garnish, pickled red onions, and enjoy!
