Fine Dining Redefined: Modern Mexican

Cochinita Pibil

Created by Chef Elia Herrera

Born in Cordoba, Veracruz-Mexico, Elia was exposed to the fascinating world of cooking from a very young age. Growing up, culinary exploration was encouraged in her home, since her grandmother ran a catering business with clientele such as presidents, celebrities, and even the King of Spain. After perfecting her craft Spain, France, Belgium, and Italy, Elia followed her roots and brought the tradition of authentic Mexican cuisine to Canada, where she arrived in 2003. She now leads one of Toronto’s top Mexican restaurants, Los Colibris, as Executive Chef.

INGREDIENTS

2 kg pork shoulder
125 g pork fat
1 bag of banana leaf

ABODO
200 g achiote
½ cup orange juice
½ cup white vinegar
¼ tsp cumin
¼ tsp clove
1 tsp dry oregano
½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp black pepper
4 garlic cloves
Salt to taste

CURED RED ONION
2 red onions
½ pc habanero pepper
2 tbsp cilantro
½ pc orange juice
4 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp dry oregano
Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

PORK AND ADOBO

Toast the spices on a pan or in the Jenn-Air® Wall Oven. Blend spices with the rest of the adobo ingredients and marinate the Pork. Rest overnight in the refrigerator.

Take the banana leaf and pass it through the flame of the 20,000-BTU Burner on the Jenn-Air® range until it softens. If you don’t have a gas burner, an electric range burner will work as well.

Cover a hotel pan or large casserole dish with the banana leaf. Place the marinated pork in the hotel pan and pour the melted pork fat on top.

Cover pork with more banana leaf and bake for 1 hour at 325°F, 3-4 hours at 275°F, and then use the “Keep Warm” function until ready to pull apart and serve. TIP: If you own a Jenn-Air® wall oven, you can program these cooking phases into the oven by using the “My Creations” function on the main menu. That will save you the hassle of adjusting the settings while also making the recipe easy to locate again in the future.

CURED RED ONION

Julienne onions. Finely chop both the habanero and cilantro. Mix all ingredients in a bowl and let rest for two hours.

Serve finished dish with tortillas, guacamole, pico de gallo, ceviche, and fresh fruit.
Pair with a “Pina para la Nina” cocktail.