Fall-Off-the-Bone Yucatán-Style Barbecue

Luis Silva

Mexican flavor profiles are a best bet with American consumers, with flavor systems like al pastor and birria thriving on mainstream menus. Cochinita pibil, the Yucatán-style barbecue pork dish, is also enjoying a surge in popularity. At Boleo, a South American-inspired rooftop restaurant at the Kimpton Gray Hotel, the flavors of cochinita pibil are featured in its Patita Pibil, a generous pork shank marinated in pibil spices and served with Cotija cheese polenta, zucchini and yellow squash. “Our pibil sauce is a bold blend of vinegar, achiote paste, aromatic spices and our housemade pork stock,” says Luis Silva, executive chef. “We allow the flavors to fully develop into a tender, fall-off-the-bone dish.”

He begins by seasoning the shank with salt and pepper before giving it a deep, caramelized sear on all sides. From there, it braises for three hours in the pibil sauce. “We use whole pork shanks, making for an impressive presentation. When one of these beautifully braised shanks makes its way through the dining room, it tends to turn heads—and often leads to more orders on the spot,” says Silva. “Pork has a subtle sweetness, which pairs beautifully with the sweet and tangy notes of our pibil sauce. The creamy Cotija polenta adds a touch of savory richness with just the right amount of funk. Each element works in harmony, creating a dish that’s bold, balanced and deeply satisfying.”

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