For this month, I was paired with Kimberly from Rhubarb and Honey for Secret Recipe Club. I was really excited when I saw that she had a recipe for cochinita pibil – it’s one of my favorite things to order when we go out for Mexican, and I’ve been meaning to learn how to make it for ages. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find one of the key ingredients (achiote paste) and had to improvise. Although the recipe didn’t come out exactly like the restaurant’s (which has a thicker sauce with a stronger, more acidic flavor), it was absolutely delicious.
This isn’t your typical Tex-Mex type of food at all. While it’s strongly seasoned with warm spices like cinnamon, it isn’t hot and spicy at all. Even if you don’t normally like Mexican food, you should give it a try!
The recipe makes a ton so I’ve been having fun trying different ways to eat it. First, I had it with yellow rice, then I rolled it in tortillas with pickled onions and avocados. But my absolute favorite has been to eat it on a sandwich (torta) with crusty bread, a thin smear of garlic and herb goat cheese, lettuce, cilantro, pickled jalapeños, and more pickled onions. It’s a hearty sandwich – it would be great to bring along on a picnic after a hike – and it’s one of the best that I’ve had in a while.
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