Today's food item is achiote, known in English as Annatto-you'll most likely find it as an ingredient in your cheddar cheese, it's the stuff that makes it orange. Wikipedia does a good job providing a description, so I won't go into it here, just read this. This spice is found in Mexican, Central American, and some South American cuisines, especially Ecuador. It is not spicy and is a great flavor enhancer for cooking light-that is, lots of flavor but low in fat.
Achiote is great for flavoring fish, pork and chicken. I took this photo having noticed the large variation in color between these two packages. I don't know if it's the brand or just the batch, but the more usual color is the left one that says "Orale" brand. They both smelled the same and worked just fine in my recipe so I guess there's not difference.
My favorite use for this spice is to make a paste for seasoning fish, pork and chicken. When I lived in Nicaragua, in the open market they would have 2-3 foot high cones of this paste out on a table, or little baggie portions available for purchase. The recipe I use here is an adaptation from Rick Bayless.
3 Tbs. Achiote Powder
6 garlic cloves
Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tsp allspice
pinch salt
1 tsp pepper
Moisten the achiote with the vinegar, put in blender or small chopper with garlic, allspice, black pepper and salt and blend until you have a thick paste. You can add a little water or more vinegar if it is too thick. The paste will keep several months under refrigeration.
To use, spread it out on pork chops, pork roast, chicken, or fish and grill or saute as you would regularly. If it's too thick, thin with a little water, lime or orange juice.
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