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Clase de Cocina/ Traditional Cooking

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     Yesterday we had a full, but incredibly rewarding day! We got up early to head to a pueblo on the outskirts of the city to prepare a meal from beginning to end. A local family welcomed us into their home and showed us how to cook a traditional dish: pollo pibil. "Pib", is a method of cooking underground in a pit filled with hot stones that acts as an oven.
     The first step was to meet the chickens...
two of the birds we bought from a neighbor

the "market" group sharing what they bought: tomatoes, chiles, onions, and achiote

the final words of the rooster as witnessed by a curious kitty

Raul explaining the process of softening dried corn kernels to be able to grind them into masa for tortillas

plucking the birds after a hot bath




finding banana leaves for later on in the process

preparing the meat

taking the seeds out of the achiote, a spiny green fruit that has seeds with a special flavor and... 
a characteristic intense red color

Explaining how to use the stone grinder

and a demonstration from an expert



talking about the earth-oven

setting the wood aflame after carefully stacking it in the pit

placing the stones on top of the wood, these are what will gather heat from the burning wood and maintain a constant temperature in the pit to evenly cook the meat

chopping tomatoes, chile xcatic, and onions

headed off to find leaves to cover the pit

and meanwhile...

harvesting oranges

naranja agria (sour orange)


we needed a lot!

next step is peeling, 

and juicing them

rinsing the softened corn kernels

dissolving the achiote paste into the sour orange juice

preparing the pan by lining it with the banana leaves

adding the tomato, onion and chile mixture that has been blended into the orange and achiote mixture

time to dunk the chicken in the sauce and arrange it in the pan

the result! 

bringing the pan to the hot stones

and covering it with leaves

and a cover...

so that the earth piled on top to keep the steam from escaping doesn't get into the food

meanwhile, it's time to make tortillas! 

another demonstration by the expert! 

 
a few hours later, and the pollo pibil is ready! 

sitting down to a well-earned meal after a long day!

The group heading off to the swimming hole after many thank-you's to the family that helped us have an amazing experience!
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