Puerco Pibil

So, last week I ran across a video on digg from Robert Rodriguez that I apparently was on the Once Upon a Time in Mexico DVD. It basically consists of Rodriguez showing how to cook Puerco Pibil (pork butt in Red Achiote Paste). How’s that for being viral: something actually useful!

I like Rodriguez, I like cooking, and mostly, I like pork. I could never, ever be kosher.

As the weekend rolled around and I was getting ready to go shopping, I had this recipe floating around in my head. So, I figured I’d give it a try (and let's be honest here… who doesn’t love cooking pig in banana leaves?).

I slightly altered the recipe he uses… I toasted all the spices before grinding them (I’ve actually been doing this a lot more lately), and also using a fresh orange rather than juice.

Given that I’ve never actually had Pibil before, it’s hard to say if I did it any justice… but whatever I made, it was goddamned tasty.