This popular slow-roasted Mexican pork dish, originating from the Yucatan Peninsula, is truly one of the best ways to cook pork — and use for your tortillas. This particular method and recipe was made even more famous when it was featured in the Robert Rodriguez film Once Upon a Time in Mexico starring Johnny Depp. The unique rusty orange colour of the dish comes from the annatto or achiote seeds harvested from a shrub; the flavour is uniquely earthy and peppery. Annatto seeds can be found at spice shops, good food stores and delicatessens.
Ingredients
| 2 tsp | Cumin seeds |
| 1 Tbsp | Black peppercorn |
| ½ tsp | Cloves |
| 1 tsp | Allspice berries, whole |
| 4 Tbsp | Annatto seeds, also known as achiote (Main) |
| 2 | Habanero chilli, fresh or dried, seeds removed and finely chopped (Main) |
| ½ cup | Pineapple juice |
| ½ cup | Orange juice |
| 3 | Limes, juiced |
| 2 | Lemons, juiced |
| ½ cup | Apple cider vinegar |
| 8 cloves | Garlic, finely grated |
| 2 Tbsp | Brown sugar |
| 2 Tbsp | Tequila |
| 2 Tbsp | Salt |
| 2 ½ kgs | Pork shoulder, diced into 6cm pieces (Main) |
| 1 | Banana leaf, optional |
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Directions
- Grind the cumin seeds, whole peppercorns, whole cloves, whole allspice berries and annatto seeds in a mortar and pestle or with a coffee or spice grinder.
- Mix the fresh ground spices with the habanero chilli, pineapple and orange juice, citrus juices, cider vinegar, garlic, sugar, tequilla and salt.
- Add diced pork and massage marinade into meat. Cover and leave in the fridge for four hours or, for maximum flavour, overnight.
- Line a roasting tray with foil then lay a banana leaf on top. Place pork and all marinade on top then fold leaf and foil over and seal the edges completely to form a tightly closed envelope. Roast at 140C for 3½ hours.
- Allow to rest for half an hour before opening, then squeeze over extra fresh lime juice to finish before serving with plain steamed rice. Accompany withguacamoleandMexican slaw.
