On Sunday I will be making Pibil for some friends for the first time. What are your thoughts on marinading and then just smoking butt whole without the banana leaves?
I wonder if you can use butcher paper for the same effect.
You're not going to get the same color pibil though, the point is to have a tender steamed chunk of meat that is orangey-red all over. If you smoke it, you'll get bark which isn't the same thing.
It might be delicious, it just won't be traditional pibil.
Also you won't marinate nearly as much of the meat if you do the butt whole.
Probably, although parchment can get flaky when you bake it. I bet you could also use corn husks if you can find those, I'm pretty sure a tamale uses the same steaming principle as pibil.
