Recently I re-arranged my myriad stores of bags of spices, pulses, seeds, etc. I found this bag of achiote / annato seeds.
I could use it up tablespoon by tablespoon, making multiple batches of yellow rice studded with cabochon-emerald peas, but then I would still have an open bag hanging around in my pantry for years. Or I could roll my sleeves up and do the thing I'm most curious about -- Recado Rojo, that non-spicey, fragrant red rub they use in Yucatan. I grew up using the term achiote but it is also known as annatto.
8 oz. Achiote seeds4 cups Coconut vinegar, heated
.125 oz. Allspice berries (32 each)
1.25 oz. Black pepper
3 oz. Cumin seeds
2 T Coriander seeds
10 ea. Cloves
1 lb. Garlic cloves, lightly browned in a dry pan
3 oz. Salt
2 cups Sour orange juice (available at Big John's PFI)
Soak the achiote seeds in the coconut vinegar overnight. Drain the seeds and grind everything together in small batches, adding the sour orange juice as needed.
Makes 2.5 lb
Rub 8 oz of achiote paste on a big hunk of bone-in pork shoulder. This one was from Thundering Hooves in Oregon which I bought at Eat Local in Queen Anne.
Pre-heat and line your crock pot with banana leaves and seal with aluminum foil and cook on high for 8-10 hours.
I served the tender pork with pickled red onions, coconut jasmine rice, black beans with epazote, and culinary superstar Madhur Jaffrey's Gujerati-style Cabbage and Carrots. What more could one want?
