Taco Bar: Rick Bayless’s Cochinita Pibil

A warm pile of corn tortillas, leftover shredded meat or black beans, a jar of fresh locally made mango salsa and our endless supply of homemade hot sauce is all that’s needed to open the taco bar for dinner in our house.

Once open, my kids get special dispensation to eat with their hands and love building their own tacos.

One of our early discoveries after moving to Chicago was the the talent of Mr Rick Bayless’s at his casual downtown eatery Xoco. Thick, spiced hot chocolate with churros, shrimp cerviche and made to order tortas keep us coming back.

Our favorite, Xoco’s Yucatecan specialty Cochinita Pibil, slow roasted pork smothered in achiote paste cooked slowly inside a parcel of banana leaves to keep it moist and tender. Don’t worry, you can substitute the banana leaves for baking parchment instead.

Enjoy more of the holidays with family and friends, away from the stove, by leaving the pork to cook all day. Choose a spot in the kitchen to set up your taco bar just before serving and lay out any additional salsas or toppings.

Happy Thanksgiving from the zen of slow cooking team.

*Banana leaves are readily available in Mexican and Asian grocery stores and usually found in the freezer section.

Ingredients

2 banana leaves (or pieces of parchment paper) 2ft x 2ft
3lbs pork shoulder, bone in
3 tbsp achiote seasoning mix (includes achiote, oregano, pepper, cumin, coriander & garlic)
⅔ cup lime juice, split 1/3 and 1/3
1 medium onion, ¼ inch slices
1 red onion, thinly sliced

Take one banana leaf and lay it inside your slow cooker lengthways. Take the second banana leaf and lay it across-ways. Place the pork shoulder into your slow cooker.

In a cup, mix the achiote seasoning with 1/3 cup of lime juice and stir to a thick paste.

Spread the paste over the pork shoulder and sprinkle the sliced onions on top.

Pour 1/4 cup of water around the pork and loosely cover the pork by folding the banana leaves over the top. They should remain in place. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4.

Mix the sliced red onion with the remaining 1/3 cup lime juice and leave to marinade while the pork is cooking. Once cooked, shred the pork and serve over tacos with the red onion.

Zen Moment

“Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving.”
― W.T. Purkiser