Sensational slow-roasted puerco pibil

Once upon a time in Gordonton…

A couple of banana leaves, a nice bit of pork, some annatto seeds and a splash of tequila and you’re halfway to making puerco pibil. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever tried – a rich, smoky, peppery flavour that is pure alchemy. And it’s so easy to make, after you’ve ground all your spices. And found your banana leaves.

This dish is so good that in Once Upon a Time in Mexico Johnny Depp’s character shoots dead the chef who made his pibil. He didn’t want it being made for anyone else. Which seems a bit harsh, really.

At the end of the movie director Robert Rodriguez demonstrates how to make this seriously cool slow-roasted dish.

The first time I made this dish, it had taken a long time to find the annatto seeds. From the Caribbean or Central America, these brick-red, triangular curious wee things have an astonishing flavour.

I found mine at Mexi Foods who will freight anywhere in New Zealand.

I just had to get banana leaves.

This was the ingredient that really caused grief. I kept half an eye out when we holidayed up north, I looked when I was in Gisborne and many other places.

Months later I found a huge, lush banana plant – in Gordonton. Actually, there were two healthy plants, in different places in the village. Amazing.

Truth be told, you could possibly use taro leaves or even do without and use tinfoil, but as Rodriguez says, banana leaves are cool.

The seeds and other spices join the tequila and orange juice to make up a sauce that is poured over the pork chunks overnight.  The next morning we wrapped the aromatic pork tightly up in its little bed of banana leaves – washed first, those Gordonton spiders are frisky – and slow roasted the whole caboodle.

It was worth it – pibel is an absolute taste sensation.

Serve with rice, a salad and oh, why not, margaritas.

If you want to try this dish, give me a yell and I’ll ask the nice people who own the banana plants. Then all you have to do is find your annotto seeds.

PUERCO PIBIL

5 tbsp annatto seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp whole black pepper corns
1/2 tsp whole cloves
1/2 heaped tsp all spice
1 – 2 jalapeno pepper, deseeded and chopped
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 tbsp salt
8 – 10 cloves garlic
5 lemons, juiced
tequila
2 1/2kg pork shoulder (shoulder blade end)
2 – 3 banana leaves (go on, it’s worth it)

• Process whole spices in a grinder until powdered. Tip into a small bowl.
• In another bowl stir together the orange juice and vinegar. Add the pepper and ground spices. Mix together very well with a wooden spoon.Peel and roughly chop the garlic and add to the above mixture, with the salt.
• Pour all of this into a food processor and blend until smooth.
• Scrape into a bowl and add a healthy dash of tequila and the lemon juice. Stir.
• Remove the skin from the pork. Bone out the shoulder – the butcher can do this for you, keep the bones to make soup – and chop meat into 5-6cm chunks.
• Place pork pieces into a large bowl and pour the mixture over them, stir together well. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge overnight.
• The next day preheat oven to 160C.

Line a roasting dish with banana leaves, if you have them. Pour in the pork and all of its liquid. Cover with more leaves and cover tightly with tinfoil – the big sized stuff is best.

Roast for four hours.  Don’t let anyone shoot you.