Cochinita pibil

Cochinita pibil is a Mexican pork dish originating from Yucatan. Pork is marinated in a combination of annatto paste, bitter orange juice, and garlic. It is slowly baked and then shredded and served on tortillas, tacos, or on its own with shallots, pickled onions, salsa, and various roasted vegetables. Cochinita pibil is characterized by the red color of the meat, imparted by the annatto seeds from the marinade. Originally, pork was wrapped in banana leaves prior to baking, but today a foil or any other suitable wrapping can be used instead. Since cochinita means baby pig, and pibil means buried or underground, it acts as a proof that the original recipe used a whole suckling pig that was buried in a pit for roasting. This Mayan-influenced dish is most often served on weekends in many Mexican homes, usually as a Sunday family ritual.