A well-liked 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 will probably be charcoal roasted pork. The pork is marinated first, which in Yucatán is finished with bitter orange juice (an ingredient used for nearly each recipe there). The recipe under if virtually the identical as that for Octopus Poc Chuc, however this pork model is so scrumptious that it deserves its personal put up. After I’ve had Poc Chuc in eating places in Yucatán, it was made with pork fillet, and fairly robust and dry regardless of using 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 reduce that solely butchers find out about and preserve for themselves. It’s a skinny slab of meat from the shoulder area that’s properly marbled, even whether it is from common pork fairly than Iberico. The marbling makes the meat very succulent and flavorful. By cooking the meat sous vide for twenty-four hours at 57C/135F, will probably be very tender, moist, and pink. Thus making this poc chuc a lot better than something I’ve had in Mexico. Like virtually 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 predominant 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
- recent cilantro
- salt
- 1 crimson 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 (elective)
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 simple to do with a chamber vacuum sealer. If you don’t personal such a machine, use a ziploc bag and the water displacement methodology as an alternative. An exterior vacuum sealer corresponding to a FoodSaver is not going to work.
Permit the pork to marinate in a single day within the fridge. Then prepare dinner it sous vide for about 24 hours at 57C/135F. (Because of the acidic marinade there is no such thing as a threat for a nasty odor to develop, so scalding in sizzling water just isn’t mandatory on this case.)
Construct a charcoal hearth. 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 may give the tomatoes a stunning smoky taste.
Place the tomatoes in a blender with a handful of recent cilantro leaves and 1 teaspoon of salt.
Mix on low velocity or use the heart beat operate to acquire a salsa that’s not 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 in addition 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 recent floor black pepper and freshly floor allspice when you like. In the event you personal a chamber vacuum sealer, you may velocity 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 should 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.
