Recado Rojo is Just the Flavor You Need to Give Your Food a Little Flare

Recado Rojo is a paste native to Mexico, specifically the Yucatan and Oaxcaca, but can also be found in a few other regions. The paste is a combination of different spices, but the star is achiote.

Achiote, also known as annatto, is a seed harvested from a shrub, that is soaked in water and then dried and sold. You can find achiote as a whole seed, ground up, as a paste, infused in different fats, and more. This gives the Recado Rojo its distinctive red color, as well as a slight floral but bitter taste.

Recipe

To make the Recado Rojo, combine 1 cup of achiote with 1 cup of Seville orange juice, or 2 parts lime juice, and 1 part each of grapefruit and orange juice.

While that sits, toast 12 allspice berries with 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds for a few minutes in a dry skillet. Combine them with 2 tablespoons of oregano and 1 tablespoon of whole peppercorns in a spice grinder and blend.

In a food processor, blend 20 cloves of roasted garlic with 2 tablespoons of salt and ½ cup of Seville orange juice or half the alternative from before. Combine this with the ground spices and the achiote and the paste is ready!

Use as a marinade for fish, meat, or whatever you enjoy.