Start preparing your own cochinita pibil tacos now, the dish you will love and with which you can look good on any occasion.

Like mole poblano, it is one of the most characteristic dishes you will find in Mexican culture.

What is cochinita pibil?

The cochinita pibil is one of the most representative dishes of the country, also known all over the world. It is originally from the Yucatan Peninsula and its history begins in pre-Hispanic times. It used to be drunk during important celebrations such as Hanal Pixán or the Day of the Dead.

It was the Spaniards who brought pork to the continent, and from that moment on this meat was used. Thanks to this animal, the main ingredient of many typical Mexican dishes began to change.

How to prepare Yucatecan cochinita pibil?

Its name derives from the Mayan language ”pib” or ”pibil”, which means ”buried/cooked under the ground”, a characteristic type of cooking in Mexican gastronomy. In the past, it was cooked in a stone or wood oven in which the food was placed wrapped in banana leaves.

The characteristic flavor of cochinita pibil comes from the base used: a natural pigment called achiote or anatto, extracted from the seeds of the Bixa Orellana shrub.

Ingredients to prepare the cochinita pibil recipe

• Pickled red onion
• Achiote
• Garlic
• Orange juice
• Pepper
• Cumin
• Cinnamon
• Pork meat
• Habanero bell pepper

First you will have to rinse the meat and cut it, mix it with orange juice, onion, vinegar, spices and achiote to grind it all. It should be a paste or sauce with the thickness that you like. Cook the meat as long as you need according to the size of the piece of meat you have chosen. Then you will have to shred it to present it in strips.

You can have the onion already pickled or pickle it while preparing the dish: julienne the onion with vinegar and salt (it will not come out the same). Then along with habaneros, chopped onions, cilantro and a few tacos, you can eat this delicious delicacy.

Cochinita pibil tacos

If you feel like getting hands-on, you can also prepare your own taco dough with us. It uses maseca flour, a nixtamalized corn flour, a process we have already told you about in the recipe for pozole, a traditional Mexican dish.

The flour is mixed with salt and then with the water, until a consistent dough is formed. It has to rest with a damp cloth on top for approximately 30 minutes. They are divided into small balls, kneaded and fried in a frying pan. Delicious!

How to make cochinita pibil in an express cooker?

The process using the express cooker is faster, you will only have to introduce the meat for about half an hour and it will be ready to be trimmed and mixed with the previously ground ingredients.

Serve with the tortillas that you already know how to prepare (or already bought), the habaneros cut in thin slices, the pickled red onion in julienne strips and if you like, the cilantro and a little avocado.

Where to try more Mexican dishes

When staying at the hotels in Cancun, you will have the chance to try several places that serve traditional Mexican food or if you feel like innovating, you can visit the Maki-taco restaurant, a fusion of Japanese and Mexican food.