Achiote Pulled Pork
De Arbol (Capsicum Annuum) means tree like in Spanish. The plant has thick, upright, woody stems and the chile itself is narrow, curved and bright red in color. Believed to be closely related to the pequin, the De Arbol is thin fleshed, with tannic, smoky, grassy flavor and searing heat. This chile has a heat range of 7.5 on the heat scale of 1-10. De Arbol Chiles are comparable to a Cayenne Pepper. Scoville heat units 15,000 to 30,000.
Suggested Use:
De Arbol is a hot chile and a staple in Southwest kitchens. Add some heat to your next salsa or Mexican dish. Be adventurous and add them to your next stew or chili along with the other spices. Add some heat to your next salsa or Mexican dish.
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp achiote paste
6 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 tsp Mexican oregano
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup lime juice
2 Tbsp orange juice
2 lb lean boneless pork shoulder
cilantro for garnish
16 warm tortillas
2 large banana leaves
3 De Arbol chiles (or 1 tsp dried)
1 habanero chile, minced (optional)
Instructions:
Rough chop garlic and crush garlic and salt together with the back of a chef’s knife until a paste results. Combine garlic, chiles, and achiote paste with enough water to form a thick, spreadable paste. Combine above mixtures with citrus juice in large bowl. Coat meat with new mixture and rub in well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Reserve extra marinade.
Prehat oven to 325°F. Wrap pork in banana leaves(fat side up)and add any excess spice paste. Place pork in roasting pan with 1 cup water. Cover approximately 3 hours or until pork falls apart. You many want to add water occasionally during roasting.
Let the meat cool and skim the fat from the resulting liquid. Shred pork and serve warm with remaining liquid from roasting. Reduce liquid if needed. Use to fill tacos, burritos, or tamales.
From Angela Taylor.