Easy to make, beautiful presentation and absolutely delicious. You’ll want this recipe for Easy Slow Roasted Pork Pibil. Typically, I will serve this dish late summer and throughout the fall and winter months, but honestly it’s good any time. I love the fact that I can spend 15 minutes prepping and let the oven take over while I go about my day. Four hours later, what emerges is something wonderfully warm and earthy. This is comfort food balanced with a little freshness on top!
This recipe for Easy Slow Roasted Pork Pibil has a special place in my heart. It’s one that I used to make from time to time for my father when he was still with us. There are some old family recipes that I have come to think of as “bridge” recipes – those dishes that have the potential to connect generations. This is one of them. For my father, it was familiar, comfort food that reminded him of his Mexican heritage. Today, whenever I prepare this dish, it’s a way for me to honor his memory. And for my daughter, it’s a way for her to remember her grandfather and feel a connection to her roots.
See a video on how this dish is made here.
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You’re Just a Few Key Ingredients Away From Your New Favorite
Let’s start with the elephant in the kitchen; banana leaves. Fresh banana leaves are not as hard to find as you may think. Where I live, there are three places I go for banana leaves – my local Mexican and Asian markets and a little place called Horrocks Farm Market here in Lansing, MI. For less than five dollars, I can purchase a huge bundle of banana leaves, which I then clean, portion and freeze for future use.
If you simply cannot find banana leaves, it’s ok. You can skip this step, but I encourage you to try this pork pibil recipe with them whenever possible. The banana leaves impart beautiful fruit notes to the pork that you lose when you skip this ingredient. It’s not a gimmick. They are a transformative ingredient. The pork is good without, but it mellows – becoming sweeter and more complex when roasted in the banana leaves. Trust me, it’s worth the hunt.
Native to Mexico, Achiote Rojo (at the center of this image) is a made from ground annatto seeds and is often blended with other spices. Achiote is what gives this dish its beautiful, red color. You can easily find it at your local Mexican market, some major grocery chains or online.
Finally, you’ll need chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (shown left of picture) to bring some smokey heat to this dish. You can also find these deliciously, smokey peppers at your local chain grocery store or online.
Once you have these three ingredients, you’re on your way to creating this delicious and Easy Slow Roasted Pork Pibil dish.
Sweet Endings to Compliment this Easy Slow Roasted Pork Pibil
If you’re looking for an equally delicious and easy dessert to compliment this Easy Slow Roasted Pork Pibil dish, I recommend trying the Pumpkin & Pepita Empanadas.
Pumpkin & Pepita Empanadas are one of my favorites to prepare when I need a quick dessert. For a variety of fillings, substitute pineapple preserves. And if you are really feeling adventurous, try sweet red bean paste as a filling. The red bean paste can be found in your local Asian market and delivers a delicious, fusion twist.
When I prepare a variety of empanadas for a gathering, I sprinkle the tops with different sugars – yellow sprinkles for pineapple, orange for pumpkin and red for the red bean paste. It’s just a colorful and easy way to help people identify their favorites.
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Thank you for visiting MOstly Bakes! I hope you have enjoyed this easy slow roasted pork pibil recipe. If you’re looking for other holiday recipes, I’d like to invite you to subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media via Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. Thank you again, for visiting, and I look forward to connecting with you there!
Blessings & enjoy!
Easy Slow Roasted Pork Pibil
Course: MainCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Easy8
servings15
minutes4
hoursIngredients
4 Tbsp. Achiote Rojo
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
3 Tbsp. minced garlic
1-2 Chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce, finely chopped
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 cup chicken stock
4 lbs. of pork butt, cut into 2 inch cubes
Banana leaves (optional, but highly recommended)
- For topping and serving
Fresh white onions, limes, avocados, radishes, cilantro, tortillas and cooked white rice.
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Line a roasting pan with the banana leaves as if you were lining a gift box with tissue paper. You should have enough of the leaves overlapping all sides of the roasting pan so that you can “wrap up” the pork and sauce completely.
- Cube the pork, add it to the pan that has been lined with banana leaves and set aside.
- In a medium sauce pan, add the achiote, cumin, salt, pepper, allspice and cloves and toast the spices to bring out their flavor. Cook over medium low heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly so they don’t burn.
- Add the garlic and Chipotle peppers. Stir to create a thick paste. Cook for two minutes more.
- Add the liquids one at a time to ensure the paste is completely absorbed into the liquid and there are no pockets of dry seasoning left Remove from the heat and pour over the pork, making sure both the pork and the sauce are evenly distributed in the pan.
- Fold over the banana leaves and cover the top of the pan completely with aluminum foil.
- Bake at 325 degrees F, for 4 hours. Remove from the oven and allow to sit covered for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the foil from the top and fold back the banana leaves. Gently shred the pork with the back of a fork. The meat is so tender it will fall apart easily.
- Serve over white rice with pan-toasted tortillas. For an extra-special plating top, with white onion, avocado, fresh cilantro, limes, thinly-sliced radishes and sour cream.
Notes
- Note: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
