Pressure Cooker Puerco Pibil (Yucatecan Shredded Pork)
A classic and unforgettable Yucatecan Mexican dish, modified here for an electric pressure cooker. Scratch-made with wonderful ingredients, plus a smoky twist.
Servings 8 people
Calories 468kcal
Ingredients
Basics
- 1 kg pork shoulder
Marinade
- 2 tbsp whole annatto see note
- 1.5 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander seed
- 1 tsp oregano Mexican, if you can find it
- 1/2 tsp allspice berries (~14-16 berries)
- 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
- 2 cloves
- 1 small bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 inch piece cinnamon (preferably true cinnamon, not cassia)
- 3/4 cup seville orange juice (or 1/4 cup each orange, lime, and grapefruit juice)
To Cook
- 2 roma tomatoes halved
- 1/2 red bell pepper sliced
- 1/2 tsp ground chipotle powder
- banana leaves
To Serve (all Optional)
- tortillas (I prefer corn)
- smoky dried chili salsa (aka k'uut bi ik - see note)
- quick pickled red onions
- guacamole
Instructions
Prep and Marinade
- Cut the pork shoulder into several large pieces. Cut across the grain of the muscle so that the cooked shredded pork isn't too long.
- Combine all of the dry ingredients for the marinade in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Grind until you've obtained a fine powder.
- Combine the Seville orange juice and spice powder to form a rub/marinade. Pour this over the pork and ensure that it's evenly covered. Marinade for a minimum of 2 hours or up to overnight.
To Cook
- Line the bottom of the pressure cooker (see note below for slow cooker option) with one banana leaf and a splash of water.
- Lay two large banana leave segments perpendicular to each other on a flat surface.
- Place a piece of the marinated pork on the banana leaves, then some tomato and pepper and a little bit of the chipotle powder. Repeat with the remaining portions, then bundle the banana leaves around everything and tie them closed with kitchen string (or use toothpicks to pin the leaves together at the top).
- Place the wrapped pork in the pressure cooker (I used an Instant Pot). Close and cook on manual for 40 minutes. Release naturally, or wait 10 minutes and do a quick release if you're pressured for time. Pun intended.
- Remove the pork from the banana leaves and shred. Serve as you like, though I personally love it in tacos with pickled red onions, smoky dried chili salsa, and guacamole. See notes for related recipes.
Notes
Annatto: Annatto (whole or ground) is an essential ingredient in this recipe and can't really be replaced. It can be found at Mexican grocery stores and online at better Mexican/spice stores. Whole annatto is a rather hard spice, so if you don't have a spice grinder or good mortar and pestle, buy pre-ground. Achiote paste (aka recado rojo) is NOT the same thing as ground annatto, and is in fact a spice blend that includes many of the ingredients used in this recipe. However, annatto in Spanish is achiote (entero, meaning whole, or molido, meaning ground), so read your packaging carefully.
Slow Cooker Variation: Follow the instructions as for the pressure cooker, but add the finished package of pork, vegetables, and marinade to a slow cooker and cook on low for 9-10 hours.
Recipe: Mexican Pickled Onions
Recipe: Smoky K'uut Bi Ik Note: The marinade minus the last two ingredients is basically achiote paste, so if you're looking to make it for any other recipes, now you can!
Recipe: Smoky K'uut Bi Ik Note: The marinade minus the last two ingredients is basically achiote paste, so if you're looking to make it for any other recipes, now you can!
Nutrition
Calories: 468kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 298mg | Potassium: 697mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 750IU | Vitamin C: 47.9mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 2.9mg