A preferred dish from Yucatán (Mexico) is Poc Chuc. “Poc” means roasting in Mayan, and “Chuc”, means charcoal. The identify doesn’t specify what meals is being roasted, but when it simply says Poc Chuc it will likely be charcoal roasted pork. The pork is marinated first, which in Yucatán is completed with bitter orange juice (an ingredient used for nearly each recipe there). The recipe under if nearly the identical as that for Octopus Poc Chuc, however this pork model is so scrumptious that it deserves its personal publish. Once I’ve had Poc Chuc in eating places in Yucatán, it was made with pork fillet, and fairly robust and dry regardless of the usage of a citrus marinade. As an answer I’ve ready it with iberico secreto. Iberico is een breed of pigs from Spain with properly marbled meat (much like Wagyu beef). Secreto actually means ‘secret’, as that is supposedly a secret lower that solely butchers find out about and hold for themselves. It’s a skinny slab of meat from the shoulder area that’s properly marbled, even whether it is from common pork somewhat than Iberico. The marbling makes the meat very succulent and flavorful. By cooking the meat sous vide for twenty-four hours at 57C/135F, it will likely be very tender, moist, and pink. Thus making this poc chuc significantly better than something I’ve had in Mexico. Like nearly something in Yucatán, this dish is served their with corn tortillas, permitting you to benefit from the meat as filling for tacos.
Elements
Serves 2 as a most important course (6 to eight tacos)
- 300 grams iberico secreto pork
- 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano (or common oregano)
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder knoflookpoeder
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- juice of 1 Seville orange, or 1 common orange blended with 1 lime
- 1/2 tsp salt
Garnishes
- 4 plum tomatoes
- contemporary cilantro
- salt
- 1 purple onion, quartered
- juice of 1 Seville orange, or 1 common orange blended with 1 lime
- refried beans
- 6-8 corn tortillas
- habanero sizzling sauce (recipe right here)
- 1 avocado (non-compulsory)
Directions
To make the marinade, mix 1 tsp Mexican oregano, 1 tsp thyme, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp black peppercorns, and juice of 1 orange and 1 lime with 1/2 tsp salt in a bowl, then stir to combine.
Vacuum seal the pork with the marinade. That is straightforward to do with a chamber vacuum sealer. If you don’t personal such a machine, use a ziploc bag and the water displacement technique as an alternative. An exterior vacuum sealer corresponding to a FoodSaver won’t work.
Permit the pork to marinate in a single day within the fridge. Then cook dinner it sous vide for about 24 hours at 57C/135F. (As a result of acidic marinade there isn’t any danger for a nasty odor to develop, so scalding in sizzling water shouldn’t be needed on this case.)
Construct a charcoal fireplace. Use it first to organize the salsa and onions. Roast the tomatoes and quartered onion on the grill, ideally with a canopy to develop a pleasant smoky taste, till they’re properly charred.
This can give the tomatoes a stunning smoky taste.
Place the tomatoes in a blender with a handful of contemporary cilantro leaves and 1 teaspoon of salt.
Mix on low pace or use the heart beat operate to acquire a salsa that isn’t clean however barely chunky. You’ll be stunned how good a salsa is that solely accommodates tomatoes, salt, cilantro (and a few smoke from the grill).
The onions will stay crunchy, but additionally get a pleasant smoky taste from the grill.
Chop the onions coarsely and marinate them in oranje and lime juice with salt. You could possibly additionally add some contemporary floor black pepper and freshly floor allspice if you happen to like. For those who personal a chamber vacuum sealer, you may pace up the marinating course of and get a greater texture by vacuum sealing the onions with the marinade.
Wait with grilling the pork till the onions and salsa are prepared, as a result of it’s going to cool off shortly. Take the pork out of the sous vide pouch, and pat it dry with paper towels.
Grill the pork very briefly on a very popular grill…
…till it’s properly seared on the within, however with out overcooking the within.
Slice the pork into strips. Style to regulate the seasoning with salt if wanted. On the photograph you may see how properly pink and moist the meat is on the within.
Serve the pork with the tomato salsa, marinated onions, habanero salsa, and corn tortillas. Elective: refried beans and avocado.
