Step one – The hole
Los Cabos has a very sandy terrain and therefore the perfect conditions to dig easily a hole in the ground. Wherever you dig, you have to make sure to dig at least 120 cm deep so that you can fill it up twice with firewood, let it burn for a few hours and there will be enough space to place your pot under the earth.
Step two – Marinating the pork
Puree dry chilies, achiote and spices with orange juice and marinate big chunks of pork neck and shoulder for about one hour. Check out the recipe.
Step three – Filling up the pot
Use a deep narrow pot and cover the inside with banana leaves. Place the marinated pork, thick sliced onions and dried avocado leaves in layers until the pot is full. Cover completely with aluminum foil.
Step four – Bury the pot
Before starting the fire cover the bottom of the hole with stones to keep the heat. As mentioned above, the key is to burn a lot of wood to create enough red hot coals for cooking the meat during ten hours. Place the covered pot in the center and cover it with leaves.
Use any kind of board to seal the hole completely and shovel some sand over it.
Step five – Dinner time
Dig out the delicious smelling pot and lift it out carefully. A traditional Mexican way of eating barbacoa is having it served on a warm soft corn tortilla with guacamole, onions, cilantro and a squirt of lime. Enjoy!
