Cochinita Pibil Fonda San Miguel

Total Time: 3 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 2 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 4 lbs lamb shoulder or 4 lbs lamb butt or 4 lbs chicken, trimmed of tendons and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons safflower oil
• 4 large tomatoes, sliced
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 1 large banana leaf
• rice
• 2 tablespoons achiote seeds or 3 tablespoons achiote paste
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup distilled vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried mexican oregano
• 12 whole black peppercorns
• 4 whole allspice
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon sea salt

Recipe

• 1 preparing the achiote rub:
• 2 note, if using prepared achiote paste instead of achiote seeds, skip the soaking and crushing step. simply mash the paste with the orange juice and vinegar and then transfer the mixture to a blender.
• 3 mix the achiote seeds with the orange juice and vinegar and soak for 1 hour to soften them.
• 4 using a molcajete, or mortar and pestle, crush the achiote seeds with a little of the soaking liquid.
• 5 transfer the seeds and soaking liquid to a blender and add the remaining rub ingredients; blend to a paste.
• 6 reserve 2 tablespoons of the paste for cooking with the tomatoes.
• 7 rub the lamb cubes with the remaining achiote rub and set aside.
• 8 heat oil in heavy skillet over medium heat. add tomatoes, onions and the reserved 2 tablespoons of achiote rub. fry for about 3 minutes and set aside.
• 9 cooking the lamb:.
• 10 preheat oven to 350 degrees. have a large heavy dutch oven ready.
• 11 using tongs, carefully sear the banana leaf over an open flame until flexible.
• 12 line the dutch oven with the banana leaf and arrange the lamb cubes on the leaf.
• 13 cover the lamb with tomato mixture, folding the banana leaf over the top.
• 14 cover and cook in preheated oven for 2 to 2/12 hours basting occasionally with juices from bottom of the pot. remove from the oven and transfer to a serving platter.
• 15 garnish with "cebollas rojas en escabeche (mexican pickled vegetables)" and serve with rice. serve 6.