Ingredients

• 1.5 kg pork shoulder
• 100 g achiote paste (recado rojo)
• 250 ml sour orange juice (naranja agria), for the marinade
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
• ½ tsp ground allspice
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp salt, for the pork
• 120 ml water
• 4 large banana leaves
• 2 red onions
• 2 habanero chiles
• 120 ml sour orange juice, for the onions
• 1 tsp salt, for the onions
• 24 corn tortillas

Method

1. 01
   Blend the marinade Crumble the achiote paste into a blender and add the 250 millilitres of sour orange juice, the garlic, oregano, allspice, black pepper, cumin and 2 teaspoons of salt, then blend until completely smooth with no lumps of paste.
2. 02
   Marinate the pork Put the pork chunks in a non-metal bowl, pour over the marinade, turn every piece until coated, then cover and refrigerate for at least eight hours or overnight.
3. 03
   Soften the banana leaves Pass each banana leaf slowly over a gas flame or a hot dry pan for a few seconds on each side until it turns glossy, darker green and soft enough to fold without cracking.
4. 04
   Heat the oven Heat the oven to one hundred and sixty degrees Celsius.
5. 05
   Wrap the pork Line a deep roasting dish with the banana leaves so they overhang the sides, add the pork with all its marinade and the 120 millilitres of water, then fold the leaves over the top to make a sealed parcel.
6. 06
   Slow roast Cover the dish tightly with foil or a lid and roast for about three and a half hours, until the pork pulls apart easily with a fork.
7. 07
   Pickle the onions While the pork roasts, toss the sliced red onions and habaneros with 1 teaspoon of salt and the 120 millilitres of sour orange juice in a glass jar, and leave them to sit until the onions turn bright pink.
8. 08
   Rest the pork Take the dish out of the oven, open the banana leaves, and let the pork rest in its juices for ten minutes.
9. 09
   Shred the meat Shred the pork with two forks right in the dish, removing any bones, and stir it through the red cooking juices so every strand is moist.
10. 10
    Warm the tortillas Warm the corn tortillas on a hot dry griddle for about thirty seconds per side until soft and lightly spotted, and keep them wrapped in a cloth.
11. 11
    Serve Fill each warm tortilla with shredded pork and top with the pickled onions and habanero, or pile the pork into a crusty bread roll to make a torta.