I’m so happy that during my short stay in Mexico City I can do a post on Cochinita Pibil. This specialty from the the Yucatan is highly popular in all parts of Mexico, and is also one of my favorites. What makes me especially happy right now, is that my wife’s uncle Cesar has just recently re-opened his taqueria of cochinitas, so I can introduce this delicious dish together with his eatery.
Originating from the Yucatan, the word pibil comes from a Mayan language, meaning buried. (Cochinita is simply Spanish for little pig.) And quite fittingly, the traditional way of preparing it is by burying the pork in the ground, covered with banana leaves. Since the given conditions of Mexico City make it a bit hard to dig a hole in the ground, Cesar has opted, like most people making cochininta, for a stainless steel pot instead. Other than this minor detail, he makes sure to carefully follow a certain recipe, giving the cochinita its distinct taste.
Indescribable Flavor, Unusual Color
The meat most commonly used for cochinita pibil is falda de lechón, that is pork skirt. This he cooks in orange juice, using a mix of sweet and bitter oranges, as well as banana leaves for the flavor. Once it is so soft that he can pull it apart easily, he adds the herbs and spices. Some of them are easily recognizable, such as garlic, cumin, pepper, and oregano. Others have names even most Mexicans won’t recognize, such as achiote and recado. These are spice and herb mixes on a grease base, forming kind of a paste, not unlike mole, and are used for various types of dishes.
Out of these the recado is the hardest one to find. At first Cesar didn’t know where to get any, so he skipped this ingredient, making up for it by adding more achiote. Later he got himself a good recado connection, though even so, sometimes the only recado he can get is black. The taste is almost the same, but the color is black as it is usually sold for another dish, called relleno negro or black stuffing. (That one I’ve never had, but once I get to try it I’ll make sure to write a post about it.) So at the moment Cesar’s cochinita pibil has a blackish appearance instead of the reddish-brown color it usually has. His customers don’t mind, and I actually think the uniqueness of it could be a bonus. Though he is planing to go back to normal, once his supplier can get him the red recado again.
Once the cochinita pibil has been prepared, it can be stored in the fridge until taken out and warmed up for serving. Usually it is eaten in tacos (or inside a bread roll called torta), together with pickled purple onions, and Cesar’s delicious habanero salsa. It is definitely worth trying, not only on the Yucatan. And for anyone coming to Mexico City, I can highly recommend to visit Cesar’s Cochinita Pibil.
Come and Eat at Cesar’s!
The place is not hard to find: located in the Colonia Molino de Rosas, not too far from Mixcoac, the address is Rosa Violeta 402, between the cross-streets Rosa Vulcano and Rosa China. Opening hours are Tuesday to Saturday from 5 to 11 pm. And don’t be turned off by the three tables or the lack of even a sign above the door. Those things are still coming, step by step. Cesar is just getting back into business, after a couple years of driving taxi instead. The taste of his cochinitas hasn’t changed a bit, so in the foreseeable future he should have a flourishing taqueria again.
For more on Mexican food, check out my series What to Eat in Mexico:
- Tlayudas, the Oaxaca-size Tortilla
- Tamales, the Best Way to Eat Corn
- Chapulines, Escamoles, and Maguey Worms
- Carnitas of Michoacan
- Huitlacoche, a Mold That Just Tastes so Good
- Nopales, A Vegetraian Delicacy
- Pozole, Not Just for Indipendence Day!
- Chilaquiles, for Stale Tortillas and a Hangover
- Making Salsa
- Tortillas and Other Incarnations of Maize
- Tacos, As Basic As You Can Get
- Guacamole, With and Without Spirulina
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