Two Pigs in Blankets
For quite awhile I've been wanting to cook two different styles of Butts.
'Mexican Puerco Pibil' and 'Hawaiian Kalua Pork.
Both these tasty dishes are traditionally cooked wrapped in banana leaves and in a pit.
Banana leaves, not a problem.
Digging a pit in Mama's backyard, problem.
We shall overcome!
Puerco Pibil
Pork shoulder/butt traditionally marinated in a mixture Sour Orange juice, salt and spices.
I don't have Sour Orange, but a 50/50 mix of grapefruit and orange juices works as a good substitute. Achiote (ground annatto) paste and various chiles, usually gaujillo, gives it it's red color.
Marinade
1.5C Sour Orange juice*
(*To mimic Sour Oranges for this or other Mexican recipes such as Carnitas or Carne asada, just mix equal parts Grapefruit juice, Orange juice, Lime juice and Vinegar.)
1.5C White or AC vinegar
1/2C Lemon juice, fresh
4T Achiote paste
2T Arbol chile powder
1T minced garlic
2T salt
Marinated overnight, then dusted with more achiote and chile powders and salt.
Wrapped in banana leaves and trussed.
Kalua Pork
If you go to a luau in Hawaii you're going to see pork one of two ways, whole pig or pig parts wrapped in banana and/or Ti leaves and sometimes burlap and cooked in a rock lined pit with hardwood coals.
Kiawe is the commonly used wood, us mainlanders know it as Mesquite.
In researching I found a dozen ways to marinate and spice it, from half a dozen sources, including some folks I know who live in a Hawaii.
From strictly traditional using Alaea salt, banana or Ti leaves and pit cooked.
To simply using liberal amounts of liquid smoke, Kosher salt, and cooked in Dutch ovens or crockpots. And much more fancy recipes like the one I've prepared here.
Marinade
2C Orange juice
2C Pineapple juice
2C diced pineapple
1/2C Soy sauce
1/8C Fish sauce
3/4C minced ginger
3T minced garlic
4T salt
Marinated overnight.
Strain and keep all the pineapple, ginger and garlic.
Add it back to the butt along with several splashes of liquid smoke around and atop before wrapping.
Fire up the smoke with a 60/40 mix of mesquite and hickory.
This is one time where I want a heavier smoke, not thin blue smoke.
Because the meat is well protected by the leaves it can take it, and it really needs it.
Normally both Puerco Pibil and Kalua Pork are confined in an almost airtight pit which infuses the meat with an intense smokey flavor.
Fours hours into the cook, the leaves look dry and brittle but they're not.
Stay tuned Pork Fans!
tx smoker
For quite awhile I've been wanting to cook two different styles of Butts.
'Mexican Puerco Pibil' and 'Hawaiian Kalua Pork.
Both these tasty dishes are traditionally cooked wrapped in banana leaves and in a pit.
Banana leaves, not a problem.
Digging a pit in Mama's backyard, problem.
We shall overcome!
Puerco Pibil
Pork shoulder/butt traditionally marinated in a mixture Sour Orange juice, salt and spices.
I don't have Sour Orange, but a 50/50 mix of grapefruit and orange juices works as a good substitute. Achiote (ground annatto) paste and various chiles, usually gaujillo, gives it it's red color.
Marinade
1.5C Sour Orange juice*
(*To mimic Sour Oranges for this or other Mexican recipes such as Carnitas or Carne asada, just mix equal parts Grapefruit juice, Orange juice, Lime juice and Vinegar.)
1.5C White or AC vinegar
1/2C Lemon juice, fresh
4T Achiote paste
2T Arbol chile powder
1T minced garlic
2T salt
Marinated overnight, then dusted with more achiote and chile powders and salt.
Wrapped in banana leaves and trussed.
Kalua Pork
If you go to a luau in Hawaii you're going to see pork one of two ways, whole pig or pig parts wrapped in banana and/or Ti leaves and sometimes burlap and cooked in a rock lined pit with hardwood coals.
Kiawe is the commonly used wood, us mainlanders know it as Mesquite.
In researching I found a dozen ways to marinate and spice it, from half a dozen sources, including some folks I know who live in a Hawaii.
From strictly traditional using Alaea salt, banana or Ti leaves and pit cooked.
To simply using liberal amounts of liquid smoke, Kosher salt, and cooked in Dutch ovens or crockpots. And much more fancy recipes like the one I've prepared here.
Marinade
2C Orange juice
2C Pineapple juice
2C diced pineapple
1/2C Soy sauce
1/8C Fish sauce
3/4C minced ginger
3T minced garlic
4T salt
Marinated overnight.
Strain and keep all the pineapple, ginger and garlic.
Add it back to the butt along with several splashes of liquid smoke around and atop before wrapping.
Fire up the smoke with a 60/40 mix of mesquite and hickory.
This is one time where I want a heavier smoke, not thin blue smoke.
Because the meat is well protected by the leaves it can take it, and it really needs it.
Normally both Puerco Pibil and Kalua Pork are confined in an almost airtight pit which infuses the meat with an intense smokey flavor.
Fours hours into the cook, the leaves look dry and brittle but they're not.
Stay tuned Pork Fans!
tx smoker
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