Puerco Pibil III: The Return of the Puerco

After last episode's follies and an amusing assault to the oral orifice to one of my friends (you know who you are, lol), we once again decided to try our hands at the puerco pibil. This time we decided to tweak it a bit more - still aiming to find that definitive version that we can settle on calling "the best."

We decided to change a few things this time, such as using only 3 instead of 4 habaneros (everything of the pepper still included), doubling the vinegar (more on this later), and most importantly - marinating the mixture overnight.

After a quick jaunt at two different groceries for needed supplies, we immediately got down to work. We were already out of achiote seeds and vinegar, so we went and got those (among other things). When we got back and were measuring the vinegar, we realized that we had been using only half the allotted vinegar - the measuring cup we used had this random line in the middle which we thought the past two times we made it that that signified 1/2 cup. Apparently we've been doing 1/4 cup. Sheesh.

Everything was prepared and we lovingly decided to use my friends' parents' other coffee bean grinder. The old we were using had too many of the spices left over since it was more geared towards plain ye olde coffee beans. We decided to use the other one that, coincidentally, my friends got for their parents since we wanted to use the original grinder for spices.

This new bean grinder worked better and we ended up with less spice lost... and the less spice we lose, the more spice we can flavor the pork with. Which we really needed since, this time, we used up all 8lbs of the pork.

We decided to poke the meat with holes from a fork just so that the sauce will permeate the meat better when we marinate it. Choosing to marinate it overnight was a very hard decision for us since we pretty much wanted to devour it right then and there (after cooking it, of course).

[End scene one. Cut to next day, begin scene two]

I only had one class in the morning, from 800 to 950, so right after it finished I went straight to my friends' house. They had put the dish in the oven to cook around 7ish and was due to be done around 11. Sweet. I had about an extra hour to burn so I spent that hanging around there, waiting for our other friends to arrive.

We left it to sit in the oven a bit longer after it dinged (it being the oven, not the dish) just to let it rest and absorb some of the sauce. After a bit of time, we came downstairs and... pounced on the pig.

It was a bit more flavorful this time. The smell during the cooking process was also.. milder? compared to the previous versions. It still had a pretty good kick, even with just 3 peppers. I assume it was able to absorb the flavor more because of the overnight marination. By the way, my friend can testify to that (aforementioned assaulted person). And if you'd like to know, he also learned his lesson this time by jumping for water instead of drinking soda. Good job, dude. Oh, and in case any of you were wondering - we only had a splash of tequila. They... fervently refused my requests to add another "splash."

I think we'll keep it to 3 habaneros next time since it still delivered a pretty good kick without being too tame or overpowering. We also decided to marinate it a couple of hours at least instead of just minutes for optimum absorption of sauce.

-=-

So, if you decide to make puerco pibil... should you do it this way?

Take a look. I'll let you guys decide for yourself.

Taken right after being taken out of the oven. The liquids and solids had separated leaving a clear layer of oil on top and the heavier spices and whatnot beneath it. Don't they look like pork islands surrounded by beaches of crystal clear oil?

Cut into smaller cubes and served again over plain white rice with a bit of the sauce drizzled for more flavor made for a very filling lunch.

I was told that the pork had absorbed most of the liquid by the time it was taken out in the morning leaving only a thick reddish paste on the meat. Also, since the moisture was absorbed entirely and not lost, the pork was able to remain tender during the time of cooking. And tender it very much was.

- West




PS.
Don't forget the

Puerco Pibil II: The Puerco Strikes Back

I was able to revisit the puerco pibil sooner than expected - yesterday evening. After a haphazard afternoon of planning, a dash to 4 different places, and a night of cooking and waiting (mostly waiting)... I now present to you the Puerco Pibil ver. 2:

This round of cooking was done with the same circle of friends and 3 more making for an even 6. With that many people, the tasks were not only evenly distributed but also executed faster. Also, knowing the ungodly amount of cooking time that went into this dish, we made sure to start earlier in the night.

We split up into two groups and headed towards the liquor store. Remember the tequila used in the video? This time we planned on acquiring the same tequila to try and replicate the recipe as closely as possible. The same brand of tequila was there but the one that was actually used was a tad bit too expensive at USD~90+ or so (it was a collector's bottle now), hence, we got the next one (newer bottle style); slightly smaller but still the closest to the actual thing, setting us back somewhere around USD~65-70. We also got beer - Stella Artois - for later.

Afterwards, my group first headed to a nearby supermarket to acquire annatto seeds, lemons, and habanero peppers, then to an asian market for the banana leaves. The other group went to another supermarket to buy the pork. They also bought some donut holes for us to munch on during that grueling 4 hour wait, not to mention to assuage our raging stomachs.

And then we got to work. Each of us, with our assigned tasks, went right down to business; some were assigned to the meat, some to the spices, and one to do the juicing. I myself chopped garlic and peppers. We threw the spices into the once-coffee-grinder-now-spice-grinder and made sure those were near obliterated. After that, we tossed everything else but the tequila into the blender to make that lovely lovely sauce. The top shot had camera flash while the bottom didn't, just to give you guys an idea of the resulting color.

We made sure to scrape the sides so that the spices won't be sticking since we might end up losing some of that awesome flavor (hey, we have no idea if that little bit of leftover mix will affect the flavor but it's the thought that counts, right?). And then we added about half a small glass of tequila, initially. We (I) added a bit more of a splash since we were using a bit more meat than what was in the recipe. Wasn't my intention to add.. that much of a splash.. psh, like I'd know about fluid dynamics and flow rate and whatnot. Anyway, what's important is that it turned out good.

This process was repeated a few more times - blend, scrape, blend, scrape. The concoction... it's a kick to the nose. Seriously - after we blended all the ingredients together, we opened the top of the blender and the whiff... the mixture of everything together hits you all at once; the spices (especially cumin), acidity of the lemon and orange juice, the tequila, and last but definitely the most prominent - the peppers.

This dish is gonna have a kick just like last time, but this time hopefully the usage of authentic (...and more) tequila will push the dish over the previous one's bar. We placed the meat-n-mixture into a large zip-top bag and made sure to shake it so that the sauce mix would cover every inch of the meat. We thawed the banana leaves, prepared the baking pan, shook the meat more, and then popped it into the oven.

Now, the real battle begins - waiting.

For FOUR hours.

The donut holes definitely helped with the starvation pangs as some of us either had a paltry lunch or none at all. We definitely hadn't had dinner yet. Still, waiting wasn't entirely about the hunger... it was also a mind game. We tried numerous things to pass the time - played a round or two of starcraft, chatted online, played Call of Duty 4 on Xbox live, slept, etc. As minutes turned into hours, that particular aroma emanating from the oven slowly - but certainly - permeated the entire house. Soon, there was nary a place to hide. It was everywhere. And just as we were stretched to the limits of our sanity... that sound, that lovely sound...

It rang from the kitchen, throughout the house, through our ears as if that was what it was especially made for, but no, just when you thought it had stopped, it would go on again, ringing from here to eternity, stretching until forever, the infernal summons from that dreaded machine... screaming, screaming into our very souls... "it is done." The herald of this once-welcomed-now-dreaded sound, the very vehicle of both our madness and salvation came upon us like Death stealing into the night, carrying another future inhabitant to his morose domain... It sounded very much like... an oven.

"ding!"

Oh, hey guys, the food's done!

We all scurried from our respective spots into the kitchen and stood at the mouth of the oven. We took it out and gently unwrapped the steaming hot delicacy. The 4-hour wait was definitely worth it: the meat was very tender and the sauce - delicious. We were all pretty much salivating ala Pavlov's dogs, so after procuring a sizeable spoon, we dug in.

More rice had been cooked, nearly the full pot, enough for all - and more - of us. We were expecting second servings and we definitely had them - this was awesome. Served over white rice moistened with some of the puerco pibil's sauce, it made for a really great dish. The taste wasn't entirely too different from the previous one though we did decide that it was better. The alcohol had already gone leaving only the flavor of the tequila. The kick was... well, still pretty good. One of my friends who was eating kept panting through the ordeal. On that cold night, I think he was even sweating.


After the pleasant ordeal, with our energies already being diverted to digesting this delight, we kicked back and relaxed. We talked about the dish, the complexities of the flavors, that special smell... One of my friends busted out the Stella Artois he bought earlier for us to try. I have never tried this beer before and am not an avid beer drinker (or even just drinker for that matter, ignoring the tequila-splash accident entirely), but as far as beer goes, it was pretty smooth.

I still hate beer though. Haha.

-=-
It's only been a day after I had it and already I'm craving more. As we get better at making the whole thing, we'll slowly start to try other variations. Next time we're thinking of using chicken. Pollo pibil, anyone?

- W

Puerco Pibil

December 18, 2008

I was introduced to this dish several weeks ago courtesy of my friends. They had seen it quite a while back, I believe, in the "extras" section of the dvd of "Once Upon a Time in Mexico." The dish itself is supposed to be the favorite of one of the characters (I have not seen the movie myself) and in one scene shoots a chef because of it. I don't know if he shot the guy 'cause the food was horrible or the dish he made was just that good.

The extra, "10 minute cooking school," from filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, told us a bit about the history of the dish, the ingredients required to prepare it, and the procedure itself. We found the video uploaded in youtube, and for all you curious folks, THIS is the link. For your viewing pleasure, we made sure to take down the recipe (via repeated viewing and re-viewing of the video) from the video. By the way, another friend pointed it out to me that we didn't even have to do that; the recipe was already posted in the video info in the link. Oh... and I suppose we could've looked online, eh? I feel so futile...

-=-
5 Tablespoons whole annato seeds (or achiote, the plant or tree)
2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds
1 Tablespoon peppercorns
8 whole allspice seeds
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves

Grind the above in a spice mill/coffee grinder. Make sure you have a separate grinder from your coffee, if you do have one for that since it'll make your coffee taste funky and vice versa with the spices. Also this is a good time to preheat your oven to 325 F.

2 habanero chilis, stems and seeds removed, chopped (or leave the stems and seeds intact for additional spice, you can also use more chilis)
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 Tablespoons salt
8 cloves garlic
Juice of 5 lemons
Splash of good tequila

Combine the above with the spice mix in a blender, and puree.

You'll also need banana leaves to line the pan with.

For meat you'll need about 5 pounds of pork butt, cut into 2-inch cubes. Put the pork into a large zip-top bag and combine with the earlier well-blended ingredients. Make sure you move the meat around so that it is all covered with the mixture. Line a 9x13 pan with banana leaves then add the pork with the mixture. Fold the banana leaves so it covers the pork, then cover it with foil; make sure the foil is snug and tight as you do not want any steam to escape. Now put it in the oven and bake for 4 hours. Afterwards, serve over white rice.

-=-

We made this dish at about 9 at night so... yeah, we were only able to taste the fruits of our labor past 1 in the morning. It was totally worth it - the pork, due to the long bake time, was totally tender. It had infused with all the flavors and turned out reddish-orange from spices we used. All three of us friends who made it had a fancy for spicy food. We decided to use 4 habanero chilis leaving the stems and seeds intact... it was pretty spicy. In the video, the tequila that was used looked like Casa Noble. We didn't have it on hand and just used Jose Cuervo. It was still delicious though we are looking to try and make the dish as authentic as possible next time. Definitely worth your while - doesn't require much preparation time, serves a decent group of people, a good conversation starter, and of course: it's pretty freaking good.

- W