RE: [CH] El Yucateco Achiote Annatto

Joan Mes McCutcheon (joan@mccutcheon.com)
Thu, 28 Feb 2002 16:40:49 +0100

I use Achiote like this.

Quick Achiote Recado

6 tablespoons achiote paste
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

It gives a great flavour to any dish.  I believe also that you can sour the
orange and add it.

Joannie

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-chile-heads@globalgarden.com
[mailto:owner-chile-heads@globalgarden.com]On Behalf Of Alex Silbajoris
Sent: 28 February 2002 14:27
To: chile-heads@globalgarden.com
Subject: [CH] El Yucateco Achiote Annatto



Last weekend, in the North Market, I found a new vendor of Mexican
foodstuffs.  Among various familiar sauces, I saw a few new ones, including
an El Yucateco product I hadn't seen before.

It is called Achiote Annatto all purpose seasoning for grilled and roasted
meat.  The rest of the information is in Spanish and English, in nearly
unreadable tiny type.  Ingredients are annatto seed, water, salt, spices,
garlic, ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate.  NO CONTIENE COLORANTE
ARTIFICIAL.

The flavor is intensely rich, reminding me of a good cocktail sauce but
without horseradish.  I haven't tasted annatto seed before, so I can't
compare it to this.  But that must be the 'mystery flavor' dominating this
sauce.  There is some heat, too, but apparently not enough chiles to merit a
separate entry other than 'spices' in the ingredient list.

Also, the instructions say to add it to meat before cooking, so perhaps to
get the proper flavor it is intended to be cooked like the meat.  Lordy, I
can imagine brushing this on some cubed pork and smoke-grilling it over
mesquite in my Lodge iron casserole.

- A


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