Cochinita Pibil (Slow-Cooked Achiote Pork)

from the Rick Bayless iPad app

• 1/2 3.5-ounce package prepared achiote seasoning paste
• 3/4 cup fresh lime juice (divided use)
• Salt
• 1/2 1-pound package banana leaves, defrosted if frozen
• 3 pounds bone-in pork shoulder roast
• 1 large white onion, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 large garlic cloves, roasted in their skins, then peeled
• 8 medium (about 3 ounces total) fresh habenero chiles, roasted and stemmed
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 24 corn tortillas, heated (optional)

An awful lot of limes to make out to 3/4 cup lime juice. I had bought a bottle of juice earlier in the event that I'd be lazy.


Mise en place.
Threw a few radishes in the mix because my red onion wasn't all that large. Also, quick lime-pickled radishes are pretty much my go to garnish/vegetable with Mexican food. Which it appears I will be doing more often in the near future.


Lime juice, salt and El Yucateco achiote paste. It struck me as weird that it is also known as annatto paste when I've been led to believe that annatto is only used for color.
After eating this dish and researching on Wikipedia, recado rojo (Yet another name for this!) is:

a popular blend of spices from Mexico. Originally a Mayan blend, it is now strongly associated with the Mexican cuisine of Yucatan and Belizean cuisine. The spice mixture usually includes annatto, Mexican oregano, cumin, clove, cinnamon, black pepper, allspice, garlic, and salt.^[1][2] The annatto seeds dye the mixture red, and this gives the meat or vegetables it seasons a distinctive red hue.

And there I was wondering how the hell the dish was seasoned with just annatto. Silly me.


Blended until there were no obvious lumps and about ten more seconds. (Though some remained)


Lining my Cuisinart Multi-Clad stockpot with banana leaves.
It somehow got left off my shopping list, but shopping for them at Chinatown would have given me the same anxiety even if I had thought ahead. I didn't notice until I had pretty much given up that there's another freezer by the produce section at C-Mart and a frenzied phone call to my mother (I swear to God I've seen her use them on occasion). Ask the employees she says, but I only get dull stares and then I get ignored.
I'm sure this asking them is an okay proposition if you speak the language.


Pork shoulder, onion, and what I had no reason to believe was a sauce made of anything but annatto at this point.


Banana leaves folded over and then into a 300 degrees Celsius oven for 4 hours.


Thinly slice red onion and radish. Oh, and I sliced my finger too. Next time I use a mandoline, I'm going to wear a band-aid before I hurt myself as armor.


Yumminess.


Pan-roasting habaneros and garlic in a pan.


Softened and charred.


In the blender. I'm not sure why Rick Bayless suggests to start the blending before adding the liquid (lime juice). Reading what must be countless recipes at this point, this makes no sense since a blender can't do its job without liquid.


I had lost a few habaneros to decay in the fridge, but this salsa is mostly likely the spiciest thing I've ever made.

Not the spiciest thing I've ever eaten. I'd probably give that award to the first time I had Jerk Beef at Davis Square's Redbones. I couldn't believe how a restaurant served a dish that was inedibly spicy and that this was a popular dish to boot. Over the years, I've ranted about it, but never dared to order it again.
A couple years ago, I met up with friends there, and though I wasn't hungry, I ordered a slider of the meat. It was a perfectly palatable heat level. My lord, I wonder if they ever realized how bad that batch from five years ago was and if they threw it out or just keep serving it to dumb people like me.


Cooking has happened! The banana leaves lost their vibrancy of color.


Shredded the meat with a wooden spoon.


And I had some beautiful tacos. Still not a Bayless dish that I'm utterly in love with, but at this point I realize I'm looking for the chipotle. Not that I'm knocking the tacos that harshly. Although I probably wouldn't pass up Taco Bell if I came across one (They've disappeared in the Boston area), I've had authentic tacos at least five or six times in the couple years which is kind of a lot. And these totally stood-up among the best tacos I've had. Plus, two tacos were sufficient unlike what I imagine would've taken 6 tacos at Lone Star.

on chipotle: Surely I'll solve this issue when I make Camarones Enchipotlados (Chipotle Shrimp) in a couple weeks.