Ingredients
Masa shell
- 2.2 lb fresh white nixtamalized masa 1,000 g; plain and unsalted
- 4.6 oz lard 130 g
- 0.7 oz achiote paste 20 g; half of the total paste
- 3 tbsp plus 1 tsp water 50 ml, for the achiote
- 2/3 tsp fine salt 4 g
Meat and k’óol
- 14.1 oz cooked skinless chicken thigh meat 400 g, skinless and boneless, stewed then shredded; cooked weight
- 12.3 oz cooked pork shoulder 350 g braised arm-picnic shoulder, separable lean only, shredded; cooked weight
- 2 1/2 cups ready-to-use chicken broth 600 g
- 2.8 oz fresh white nixtamalized masa 80 g, for thickening
- 0.7 oz achiote paste 20 g
- 0.7 oz lard 20 g
- 12.3 oz tomatoes 350 g: chop 200 g and slice 150 g
- 3.5 oz onion 100 g, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves 6 g, minced
- 0.14 oz fresh epazote leaves 4 g, washed
Wrapping
- 3 large pieces of food-grade banana leaf enough to line the pan and cover the top
Equipment
- Deep 11-inch round baking pan About 2 1/2 inches deep (28 × 6 cm)
- Saucepan
- Oven-safe lid or foil
- Kitchen scale
- Instant-read thermometer
Instructions
Make the filling
- Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Wash the banana leaves, trim the hard ribs and soften briefly over a warm griddle or in hot water. Line the pan with overlapping leaves, leaving enough overhang to close the top.
- Whisk 80 g masa and 20 g achiote into about 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon of the broth (200 g). Heat 20 g lard in a saucepan. Cook the onion and garlic for 5 minutes, then add the chopped tomato and cook 5 minutes more.
- Add the remaining 400 g broth and the masa mixture. Stir over moderate heat for 8–12 minutes until thick enough to coat a spoon. Fold in the cooked chicken and pork. Remove from the heat and let the filling stop steaming vigorously.
Assemble and bake
- Dissolve the remaining 20 g achiote in the 50 ml water. Mix with the 1,000 g masa, 130 g lard and 4 g salt until pliable. Add extra water only as needed, a tablespoon at a time, if the dough cracks.
- Press two-thirds of the masa over the lined bottom and sides in an even layer about 3/8 inch (1 cm) thick. Add the filling, sliced tomato and epazote.
- Flatten the remaining masa between food-safe sheets. Peel off one sheet, transfer the lid over the filling, remove the other sheet and seal the edges. Fold the banana leaves over the top. Cover with an oven-safe lid or foil; remove all plastic before baking.
- Bake for 90–120 minutes, checking that the masa is firm and cooked without a raw center and that the filling reaches 165°F (74°C). Cover and cook longer if needed. For more browning, uncover for the final 10–15 minutes.
- Rest for 20 minutes. Cut into eight portions and lift with a broad spatula. Remove the banana leaves before eating.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 portion (1/8 batch)Calories: 587.1kcal
Notes
Timing assumes the chicken and pork are already cooked. This is an adaptation for a home oven, not traditional underground cooking. US amounts are approximate; gram weights define the calculation. Do not replace fresh moist masa with an equal weight of dry masa harina. Broth and achiote salt levels vary.
Estimated energy per one of eight portions: 1,080 g white moist masa at 154 kcal/100 g (INCMNSZ 2015 p. 49); 40 g El Yucateco achiote at 180 kcal per 100 g package; USDA SR Legacy stewed skinless thigh meat 172389 (400 g), braised arm-picnic pork shoulder, separable lean only, 167847 (350 g), broth 174536 (600 g), lard 171401 (150 g), tomato 170457 (350 g), onion 170000 (100 g), garlic 169230 (6 g), epazote 169398 (4 g) and salt 173468 (4 g). The ingredient sum is 4,696.42 kcal, or approximately 587.1 kcal per portion. A fattier pork cut or different brand changes this estimate.
Other nutrients are omitted because the available achiote label reports them on a prepared-product basis without a documented dilution; missing values are not treated as zero. Refrigerate leftovers promptly at 40°F or below for 3–4 days; reheat to 165°F.
