Cochinita pibil: what it is, how to make it and where to try it
What cochinita pibil is, a step-by-step stovetop recipe, and 10 of the most famous places in Yucatán to eat cochinita — from street stalls to haciendas.
Pibil is a Maya word meaning “buried” or “cooked underground”. It names one of the most popular dishes in Yucatecan cooking: here is what it is, how to make cochinita pibil and where to eat it.
As you start your life in Yucatán, you will notice that one of locals’ favourite dishes is cochinita — but what is cochinita pibil?
It is pork marinated in a perfect blend of spices such as achiote and sour orange juice, wrapped in banana leaves and then buried in — of course — the sacred earth of Yucatán, where it cooks slowly for many hours.
Yucatecan food is vast and diverse. It combines pre-Hispanic and European ingredients thanks to mestizaje.
Among the most famous dishes are classics like cochinita pibil, lime soup and relleno negro.
In its pre-Hispanic form, cochinita was prepared as an offering for the Day of the Dead.
Since there were no pigs in Yucatán, it was made with pheasant. After the conquest, pork came into use.
It is not a sophisticated dish, but making it is very laborious — and it builds the appetite.
Many Yucatecans say the authentic cochinita is found at street-food stalls and taquerías.
In Mérida, however, it is also a must on gourmet restaurant menus.
In Mexican homes this kind of dish is usually eaten at the weekend. That is why you will often hear “cochinita Sunday” at Yucatecan family tables.
Cochinita pibil, a classic of Yucatán’s cuisine, can be eaten as a taco or a torta, with red onion and freshly ground habanero salsa.
Sometimes you will find cochinita pibil in mixed forms — as enchiladas, as a filling for chiles, or in empanadas. But the most common way is in tacos or tortas.
You may be interested in: Frijol con puerco Monday, a Yucatecan tradition.
How is cochinita made? What are the ingredients?
Making cochinita is much like a sacred ritual in Yucatecan kitchens.
Pibil is a cooking technique: the pork (or other meat) is wrapped in banana leaves and marinated in sour orange and achiote, a sweet, slightly spicy red paste made from the seed of the achiote plant, which grows in the tropics and which we Yucatecans are proud to use in our dishes.
The meat cooks for several hours in a pit dug in the ground and covered with firewood.
The pork turns tender, with a subtle smoky flavour.
It is usually served with tortillas to eat as tacos, alongside red onion, rice and black beans when served in restaurants or made at home.
The ingredients of cochinita pibil are:
Don’t overthink it — these are basically the main ingredients; further down we show how they group by preparation stage. The most important part is the spice blend for marinating the meat.
- Pork (1.5 kg of shoulder or loin end)
- Achiote
- Banana leaves (2)
- Red onion
- Sour orange
Two tips for making cochinita pibil on the stove:
- If you can’t find sour orange at the market, you can use a little vinegar.
- If burying food isn’t your thing, stovetop cochinita pibil can be made in a pressure cooker.
Stovetop cochinita pibil recipe
Marinating the pork the night before — whether you cook it on the stove or the traditional way — is essential: that is when it absorbs the flavours of the spices and the citrus from the sour orange. Alternatively, marinate it for half an hour to an hour before cooking.
Ingredients to marinate the meat:
- 1½ cups sour orange juice
- 1 pinch ground cumin
- ½ bar achiote paste
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp cloves
- 2 guajillo chiles, rehydrated, deveined and deseeded (optional)
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped or crushed
- coarse salt to taste
- ½ cup lard (optional)
Pass the banana leaves over a low flame. Line a baking dish. Make the paste by mixing achiote with the spices, sour orange, lard, salt and herbs. In the banana-leaf-lined dish, place the pork. Spread with the paste, cover and let it rest overnight.
How to cook cochinita in the oven? Wrap the meat in banana leaf. Cover with foil. Bake at 200 °C for 2 hours, or until the meat is done.
How to cook cochinita in a pressure cooker? Cook with banana leaves for 45 minutes.
Salsa and onion to serve:
- 1 red onion, julienned
- 2 habanero chiles, julienned
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1 cup sour orange juice or apple cider vinegar
- salt to taste
Cochinita Sunday: 10 places to try the best cochinita pibil in Yucatán
If you are starting your life in Yucatán, you will surely wonder where to eat the best cochinita. Food stalls, haciendas, gourmet restaurants. Join us on this tour of Yucatecan food.
1. Taquería Hunucmá
A typical neighbourhood taquería, with a few plastic tables and no frills. At Hunucmá what matters is not the décor but the flavours — and the hit is the cochinita tacos and tortas. Address: Avenida Canek.
2. La Socorrito
Mérida’s markets are a good place to buy fruit and vegetables and to try the best cochinita in the city, along with other Yucatecan delicacies. One example is the Lucas de Gálvez market, where you will find everything from fruit to electrical goods and, of course, cochinita pibil. Address: Lucas de Gálvez market, Calle 56A, between Calle 67 and Calle 69.
3. Reina Itzalana
If you visit the Santiago neighbourhood, stop by Reina Itzalana. At this taquería you will try one of the best cochinitas in the area. Address: Santiago market, Calle 57 s/n.
4. Taquería La Lupita
Also in the Santiago market, Taquería La Lupita is a Mérida institution — and a good excuse to explore the city’s neighbourhoods on a Sunday morning. Address: Santiago market, Calle 57 s/n.
5. Panadería La Ermita
At the Ermita de Santa Isabel park you can try delicious cochinita tortas. Go before 11 a.m., as they sell out. Address: Calle 64 532A, near Calle 77.
6. Chaya Maya
Popular with locals and visitors alike, this restaurant keeps Yucatecan food traditions alive, and cochinita pibil is one of its star dishes. Address: Calle 57 x 62, Parque Santa Lucía.
7. Los Almendros
With incredible flavours, Los Almendros is one of the oldest restaurants in Mérida and its cochinita one of the best in the city. Address: Parque de la Mejorada, historic centre.
8. La Tradición
One of the most famous restaurants in the city. Try its delicious cochinita or, if you prefer, a mix of Yucatecan cuisine: order the house combo with cochinita, salbutes, longaniza, poc chuc, queso de bola empanada, beans and tortillas. Address: Calle 60 Norte x 25, Mérida, Yucatán.
9. Hacienda Teya
If you want a touch of glamour for your cochinita Sunday, Hacienda Teya is about 12 kilometres from Mérida. Its restaurant serves exquisite Yucatecan dishes and, of course, the best cochinita, with habanero salsa, refried beans and tortilla chips. Address: Carretera México-Cancún.
10. Hacienda Ochil
On the way to Uxmal, stop at Hacienda Ochil to try its exquisite cochinita, cooked in a pib oven. Address: Carretera Mérida–Uxmal, kilometre 45.
After the what, how and where of Yucatecan cochinita pibil, you have two options: make it at home or visit one of the places we recommend. Now enjoy life in Yucatán and go get the best cochinita in Mérida!
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