Yucatán achiote pork in banana leaves (Cochinita pibil)

1. Crumble the achiote paste into a bowl and squeeze over the juice of the bitter oranges and one lime; if you can't find bitter oranges, the juice of 2 oranges and 1 lime is a good substitute. Add the crushed garlic, cumin, allspice and oregano, season with salt and pepper and stir until smooth.

2. Cut the pork shoulder into 5-6 cm chunks, coat them thoroughly in the marinade, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.

3. Pass the banana leaves over a gas flame or a hot pan for a few seconds to make them pliable, then lay them crosswise to line an ovenproof dish; if you have no banana leaves, a double layer of baking paper and foil works too.

4. Add the meat with all the marinade, fold the leaves over, cover the dish tightly with foil and bake at 160 °C for 3-3½ hours, until the meat falls apart easily with a fork.

5. Meanwhile, slice the red onions into thin half-moons, deseed the habanero and cut it into hair-thin strips, then mix with the juice of two limes and a pinch of salt; leave for at least half an hour until the onion turns a lovely pink.

6. Shred the finished meat with two forks right in its juices and serve with the pickled onions and warm corn tortillas or rice.

Tip: Habanero is very hot – to spare your guests, pickle the onions without it and serve the sliced chili in a separate bowl.