Cochinita pibil is the pride of the Yucatan peninsula—a dish of smoky, slow-roasted pork marinated in a special blend of ingredients including cinnamon, allspice, and achiote (annatto) seed. Cochinita means “baby pig,” and the real-deal recipes use a whole suckling pig. Traditionally the whole thing is wrapped in banana leaves and then buried in a pib—a pit with a fire at the bottom. Here I use Boston butt and employ a two-stage “grill-and-swim” cooking process to make things a little more convenient and a lot juicier. Pregrilling the meat adds great flavor, while low and slow cooking in a water bath produces especially succulent meat—no pib required. Plus, you won’t have to fire up your grill on taco night, so you can focus on making Homemade Corn Tortillas or that sweet playlist you’ve been meaning to put together.
A true Baja California experience requires sunny, breezy patios and a plate of tacos. We aimed to re-create the feel of a Baja-style fish taco in our home kitchen, instead bringing veggies to the forefront.
Making empanadas is a labor of love. The recipe for our pint-size version, which streamlines the process by calling for store-bought pie dough, can also be assembled ahead of time and baked just before serving
Tilapia filets are halved and marinated while you make the crusty tortilla topping and the quick pickled red onion.
Ingredients
Equipment: Tortilla press*
Roasting the chiles, onions and garlic is the secret to the depth and rich taste of this sauce.
Don’t let summer get away from you without trying this. Then again, it is pretty swell in winter, too.
A vegetarian soft taco filling.
Bricklayer get their name from the Spanish word albañil, or bricklayer, as tacos like these are a common meal served at lunchtime.