Estimated Nutrition

Per serving

Ingredients & Substitutes

Instructions

1. 1

   Combine 60 grams of achiote paste, 120 milliliters of sour orange juice, 6 cloves of garlic, 5 grams of ground cumin, 5 grams of dried Mexican oregano, 2.5 grams of ground black pepper, 2 ground whole cloves, 1.5 grams of ground green cardamom seeds, and 15 grams of sea salt in a blender until smooth.

2. 2

   Place 1.5 kilograms of pork shoulder cubes into a large bowl and pour the blended marinade over the meat, ensuring every piece is thoroughly coated.

3. 3

   Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight, to allow the flavors to penetrate the pork.

4. 4

   Preheat your oven to 150 degrees Celsius; if using banana leaves, line the bottom and sides of a slow cooker or a Dutch oven with the two charred banana leaves, allowing them to hang over the edges.

5. 5

   Transfer the marinated pork and all its juices into the prepared slow cooker or Dutch oven, then fold the banana leaves over the top of the meat to enclose it.

6. 6

   Cover the slow cooker or Dutch oven tightly and cook for 6 hours, or until the pork is fall-apart tender, shredding easily with two forks.

7. 7

   Shred the cooked pork directly in its flavorful cooking liquids, ensuring it absorbs all the rich juices.

8. 8

   Serve the Cochinita Encantada warm with thinly sliced 1 medium red onion and 1 finely chopped habanero pepper as garnish, alongside warm tortillas if desired.