I recently enjoyed Yucatecan Grilled Pork –poc chuc (which means “toast over wood coals”) at a restaurant serving regional cooking (comida regional) in Playa del Carmen on Mexico’s Yucatán peninsula. The complex salty-sour flavors of this dish was quite a surprise. After having visited several Mexican regions and its restaurants for many years, I thought I’d already experienced the full variety of Mexican cuisine, but this dish takes the brilliant tastes of Mexico’s wonderful foodways to another dimension and I was curious to learn about its origin.
The history of this dish is an especially instructive example of how Mexico’s intersection of culture, tradition and history influenced culinary practices — its foodways. Prior to the arrival of Spanish explorers in the 16th century CE, the Maya (the indigenous people of the Yucatán) had a varied but mainly vegetarian diet. Three domesticated crops– corn, beans and squash — supplied the essential nutrients.
Both fresh and dried maize provided the foundation for the ancient Maya diet. Dried maize, too hard for humans to digest, was soaked and cooked in an alkaline solution to soften and remove the hard outer seed coat in a process called nixtamalization * (from the Nahuatl word for the process). Nixtamalized maize was ground into masa and made into tortillas and tamales, perhaps the best-known pre-Columbian Mesoamerican food.
Dietary variety was provided by other indigenous crops – chili peppers, tomatoes, avocado, breadnut, guava, mamee apple, soursop, papaya, pineapple, pumpkin, sweet potato, wild onion, chaya, chayote and xanthosoma. Flavor was enhanced by native herbs and spices – vanilla, epazote, achiote (annatto), canella (cinnamon), hoja santa, avocado leaves, oregano and allspice.
Ancient Mayans relied on wild animals as a source of protein. Only dogs were domesticated and occasionally fattened up to eat on holidays. Thus, the meats of deer, peccary, turkey, quail, ducks, monkeys, tapir and armadillo were a dietary supplement only after a successful hunt. Ancient Maya, known for producing and controlling salt, preserved meat from spoiling by a brining in a solution of salt and water.
Costal Mayans also supplemented their diet with fish, lobster, shrimp conch and other shellfish. Meat and seafood were typically cooked in stews along with various vegetables and peppers. Fish also was salted and dried or roasted over an open fire.
After the 1527 Spanish conquest of the Yucatán peninsula, the Mayan diet expanded. The conquistadores brought cattle (beef, milk, butter and cheese), pork (meat and cooking fat), chickens (eggs), wine, onions, sugar, wheat and rice, onions, garlic, almonds, sesame seeds, spices like cumin, pepper, cloves, cinnamon and oranges which were gradually adopted into the native diet and became fundamental elements of today’s Mexican creole cuisine – cocina Mexican mestiza.
This Yucatecan Grilled Pork is a prime example of the Maya – Spanish culinary fusion. It has a complex, enticing flavor, a balance of salt-brined pork with the tartness of sour orange juice. Sour oranges (also called Seville or bitter oranges), the characteristic flavor of many Yucatecan dishes, are a legacy of the Spaniards. These green bumpy-skinned, eye-squintingly tart oranges filled with seeds have a more intense floral citrusy aroma than navel or juice oranges. They are only occasionally available in America’s Latin or Italian grocery stores in February or March as Seville oranges for making marmalade.
This Yucatecan Grilled Pork is simple dish but involves several short steps which can be prepared in advance. Some planning and time is needed to prepare poc choc according to Maya tradition. Here is what I did:
The process of making this Yucatecan Grilled Pork starts by preparing a brine solution of ¼ cup (65 g) sea salt and 1 quart (946 ml) water and pouring it over the pork loin (pork shoulder could be used as well) in a glass or ceramic.
Since juice of sour orange (naranga agria) is essential for marinating the pork, and since I could not bring the sour oranges I bought in Mexico to Chicago, I searched local Mexican markets for an alternative and discovered bottled naranga agria marinade, but its ingredients contained plenty of chemicals but no sour orange or other citrus juices. So, I followed Pati Jinich’s recipe for an excellent substitute from the juices of oranges, grapefruit, limes with a touch of vinegar. The taste of this substitute is surprisingly close to that of the fresh naranga agria juice I tasted in Mexico.
Charred Red Onion Salsa and Chiltomate ingredients
Poc chuc is customarily accompanied by two special salsas. While the pork was brining, I prepared a Charred Red Onion Salsa and Chiltomate. Both salsas were spiked with sour orange juice and their flavor mellowed overnight. Although other spicy tomato salsas can be substituted for Chiltomate, the combination of roasted tomatoes, charred habanero with its distinctive fruity flavor and sour orange juice adds a special zing to the pork. Leftover Chiltomate also will enhance the flavor of grilled chicken or beef.
I combined the marinade ingredients, prepared the pork and marinated it overnight. As the marination was completing, I purchased a chunky guacamole and fresh tortillas and prepared the black beans, the usual accompaniments to poc chuc. The pork was grilled a few minutes before serving.
How to serve Yucatecan Grilled Pork –poc chuc: Once the pork is grilled, serving is effortless. This is a help-yourself meal from a platter of sliced pork, bowls of charred red onion salsa, black beans, guacamole and chiltomate plus a variety of other hot sauces, a pile of warm tortillas and limes. Even though poc chuc can be served over rice, a warm tortilla, a smear of mashed black beans, a spoonful of charred red onion salsa, a pile of citrusy, salty pork, an explosive dribble of chiltomate and a scoop of cool guacamole makes an awesome taco. Thanks to Mayan blending of Spanish ingredients with local cooking practices, each satisfying bite is better than the one before, especially when accompanied by Mexican beer. It doesn’t get better than this!
Yucatecan Grilled Pork – Poc Chuc
For brine:
3 pounds (1361 g) pork loin or shoulder
1 quart (946 ml) water
¼ cup (65 g) sea salt
For marinade:
¾ cup (180 ml) sour orange juice (recipe for substitute below)**
1 head garlic, peeled and crushed
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper, freshly-ground
½ teaspoon cumin seed
½ teaspoon dried Mexican oregano (substitute with regular oregano)
For charred red onion salsa:
2 pounds (907 g) red onions, peeled and quartered
¼ cup (60 ml) sour orange juice**
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper, freshly-ground
¼ teaspoon dried Mexican oregano (substitute with regular oregano)
⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
For chiltomate:
4 Roma tomatoes, core removed
2 red onions, quartered
1-2 habanero, seeded and stems removed
4 garlic clove½ cup (120 ml) sour orange juice**
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1 cup cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoon grapeseed or other neutral oil
For serving:
2 cups purchased chunky guacamole
2 cans refried beans OR
2 cans (15-ounce, 425 g) black beans, do not drain, with the following 5 ingredients:
1 cup onions, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup cilantro
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt
2 limes, quartered
White corn tortillas, street taco size
Preparation of brine and brining: In a saucepan, combine salt and 1-quart water and heat until salt completely dissolves. Cool to room temperature.
Place meat in a non-metal container, add brine (more brine may be needed) to cover the meat and refrigerate overnight.
Brining
Preparation of charred red onion salsa: Heat a cast-iron skillet for 10 minutes until very hot. Add the quartered onions and char until softened and blackened in spots. Remove pieces of onion when done. Cool until comfortable to handle and slice. Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl and toss with sliced onions. Place in a lidded container and keep at room temperature until ready to serve. Adjust salt and pepper before serving. Makes 2 cups.
Dry roasting red onions
Preparation of chiltomate: Heat a cast-iron skillet for 10 minutes until very hot. Add tomatoes, onions, habanero and garlic. Dry roast the vegetables for 20-25 minutes until covered with blackened spots, turning ingredients as needed, but removing garlic after 15 minutes and remaining ingredients as they blacken.
Dry roasting Chiltomate vegetables
Once dry roasting is completed, transfer all ingredients to a blender. Blend on high until smooth, set aside.
In a saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil on medium heat until hot. Pour in salsa from the blender. Reduce heat slightly and continue cooking for 8 to 10 minutes.
Cool to room temperature and store in lidded glass jars. This cooked salsa will maintain its flavor for 10 days refrigerated and for 2 months when frozen. Adjust salt and pepper before serving. Makes 2 cups.
Preparation of marinade and marinating pork: When ready to marinate, remove meat from brine. Discard the brine. Slice pork into ½ inch (1.27 cm) medallions. Place medallions into a heavy freezer bag and pound with a mallet to make ¼ inch (0.64 cm) cutlets.
Marinating
Combine the marinade ingredients and pour over the pork while layering cutlets into a covered non-metal container. Refrigerate overnight.
Preparation of black beans: Omit if using purchased refried beans. Heat oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Sauté onions for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic, cooking for 2 minutes more. Add beans with liquid, cilantro, cumin and salt and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mash beans several times, leaving some beans whole. Taste and adjust salt and spices if needed. Makes 2+ cups.
Grilling and serving: An hour before grilling, remove pork slices from marinade to a rimmed tray but do not scrape off or rinse and bring to room temperature.
Light a charcoal fire and let it burn until the coals are covered with gray ash.
Grill pork over high heat for about 2 minutes per side, removing slices to a warm tray as soon as grill marks appear and an internal temperature of 140˚F (60˚C) is reached. (Pork should be just about done as it will continue to cook from residual heat for several minutes.)
Slice pork thin and serve warm with charred red onion salsa, mashed black beans, guacamole, chiltomate with warm corn tortillas and an assortment of hot sauces. The pork can also be served over steamed rice.
Serves: 6-8
* Nixtamilization releases niacin, a necessary B vitamin (vitamin B3) that prevents pellagra and reduces incidents of protein deficiency, creating a nutritious and complete dietary staple.
** Sour Orange Juice Substitute, adapted from Pati Jinich’s Bitter Orange Juice Substitute
¾ cup lime juice, freshly- squeezed
¾ cup orange juice, freshly- squeezed
¾ cup grapefruit juice, freshly- squeezed
3 tablespoon white distilled vinegar
Combine ingredients in a bowl, mixing well. Pour into lidded jars and refrigerate. The mixture will keep well for about two weeks. It can also be added to sparkling water for a refreshing drink.
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