Pibil-style pork ribs

Cochinita pibil is the emblematic dish of Yucatán.

The whole suckling pig, known as cochinita, is doused in achiote marinade, wrapped in banana leaves and slowroasted in a pit. Achiote paste, a mix of crushed annatto seeds and spices, has a deep, vibrant red colour and unique peppery, musky flavour that pairs beautifully with pork.

2 HOURS 30 MINUTES + OVERNIGHT MARINATING SERVES 4–6 | EASY | GF

pork ribs 2 x 1kg racks

oil for brushing

PIBIL MARINADE

achiote paste 150g, crumbled (see page opposite)

freshly squeezed orange juice 230ml

limes 1-2, juiced to make 3 tbsp

garlic cloves 45g, peeled

habanero chilli 1, trimmed

mexican oregano 1½ tsp

1 Put all the ingredients for the marinade in a blender with ¾ tsp of salt and blitz until smooth. Put the ribs in a large non-reactive dish (glass or porcelain is best), cover with the marinade and chill overnight.

2 Remove the ribs from the fridge 1 hour before cooking. Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3 and line a roasting tin with a piece of foil large enough to enclose the ribs. Put a large sheet of baking paper on top of the foil, then put the ribs on top. Scrape over any left-over marinade and pour over 200ml of water. Cover with a second piece of baking paper, wrap the ribs in the paper and foil, and scrunch the edges of the foil to seal.

3 Bake the ribs for 2 hours, then open the foil parcel and check that the meat is cooked through and falling off the bone. Turn up the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 5. Lightly brush the ribs with some oil and bake for 20 minutes more with the parcel open until the top of the meat has a slight crust.

4 Serve the ribs straight from the oven, with black beans and salsa on the side, if you like.

PER SERVING (6) 410 kcals | fat 29.5G saturates 10G | carbs 13.3G | sugars 3.5G fibre 0.6G | protein 22.6G | salt 2.7G