No. 08Mexican PorkSpain 2026Pink Agave

Cochinita Pibil

Name: Cochinita Pibil
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 8 h 30 min
Yield: 8 serves
Ingredients: 2 kg Boneless Pork Shoulder; 100 g Achiote (Annatto) Paste; 250 ml Sour Orange Juice; 6 cloves Garlic; 2 tsp Dried Oregano; 1 tsp Ground Cumin; 1/2 tsp Ground Allspice; 1/4 tsp Ground Cloves; 2 tsp Salt; 1 tsp Cracked Black Pepper; 1 packet Banana Leaves; Hickory or Mesquite Chips; 2 Oranges; 1 to 2 Habaneros; 1/2 Small Red Onion; 2 Limes; 1 small handful Coriander; 1 pinch Salt and Sugar; 1 Red Onion; 125 ml Lime Juice; 1/2 tsp Salt; 1/2 tsp Sugar; 1 pinch Oregano; Corn Tortillas; Lime

Stained brick-red with achiote, sharp with bitter orange, and lifted by a fiery-sweet pico.

John DrummondWritten 14 September 2026

Three tacos of shredded pork with pink pickled onion on a plate

Prep30min

Cook4hr

All up

4hr 30min+ overnight

Serves8

LevelMedium

A replica of the achiote-marinated smoked pork from Pink Agave aboard the Scarlet Lady. Yucatán-style slow-roasted pork, stained brick-red with achiote, sharp with bitter orange, and lifted by a fiery-sweet orange and habanero pico.

Sour orange is the soul of the dish. The juice, lime and vinegar substitute in the ingredients is very close to the real thing if you cannot find naranja agria.

Habanero heat lives in the membrane — wear gloves and do not rub your eyes. For the “sweet then heat” balance the ship’s pico had, keep the fruit generous and the chilli restrained.

Leftovers make outstanding tortas, quesadillas, or breakfast with fried eggs.

The method

Eight moves.

Pork, Marinate
Blend the achiote paste, sour orange juice, garlic, oregano, cumin, allspice, cloves, salt and pepper into a smooth, brick-red marinade. Coat the pork thoroughly, cover, and refrigerate overnight — four hours at an absolute minimum.
Onions, Pickle
Toss the sliced onion with lime juice, salt, sugar and oregano. Refrigerate. They turn bright pink within an hour and keep for a week.
Pork, Wrap
Soften the banana leaves by passing them briefly over a gas flame or dunking them in hot water. Line a roasting dish or Dutch oven with the leaves, add the pork and every drop of the marinade, and fold the leaves over to seal. Cover tightly with a lid or foil.
Pork, Slow Roast
Bake at 150°C, or 130°C fan, for three and a half to four hours — until the pork shreds effortlessly with a fork.
Smoke, Optional
This is the Pink Agave touch: the ship's version is smoked. To replicate it, finish the unwrapped pork in a kettle BBQ or smoker with a handful of soaked hickory or mesquite chips, 30 to 45 minutes at low heat. Or cheat with half a teaspoon of smoked paprika and a few drops of liquid smoke stirred through at the end.
Pork, Shred
Pull the pork apart in its own juices. It should be wet, glossy and deeply red. Taste and adjust with salt and a squeeze more lime.
Pico, Make
Just before serving, combine the orange, habanero, red onion, lime juice, coriander, salt and sugar.
Serve
Pile the pork onto warm corn tortillas, top with the orange-habanero pico and the pickled onions. That is the plate.