food Achiote' Paste

TNKS

TNKS

Who all has used this wonderful seasoning ?
Mayans used it so it goes back a good ways in seasoning history
Pretty hard to find outside of the true Mexican markets,those north of the Red River will likely have to
purchase from an on-line source.
 
If your really into grilling/smoking and sauce making this will indeed interest you
 
Those already using it,please chime in
 
It's not hard to find here, it's called annatto.
 
Annatto is the seed, Achiote is the completed paste or oil made from those seeds.
All depends on the culture/Region sources I believe.
 
Go to any spice aisle in a major supermarket, grab ground anatto/annatto. Usually also says achiote on the bottle as well.
 
If you make recado rojo (the Mayan spice mixture), it's great for puerco pibil. Also it's excellent for chicken fajitas, if you marinate the chicken in it (with beer). Goes so well with the onions/peppers, etc.
 
It's not hard to find at all. The paste is just a blend. The powder is pure (better!). You can grind the seeds too. McCormick and others even sell the seeds. ;)
 
If you are looking to make recado rojo, the completed spice mixture used by the Mayas, it is annatto, Mexican oregano, cumin, clove, cinnamon, black pepper, allspice, garlic, and salt. Achievable from a trip to pretty much any market.
 
anatto.jpg

annatto.jpg
 
I have made a pretty good pork roast my slathering it in achiote paste.  I tried grinding the seeds and mixing w/ lime juice but was not happy w/ the results.  I couldn't get past the "raw" gritty taste, even after cooking.  That was a long time ago and I was probably doing something wrong. 
 
The Mayas used the dry spices. The paste is just a way to sell the blend. Like mole paste. Nobody starts with paste. Just a way to sell the blend. So I'd avoid what's called paste in the store. Unless you want the shortcut.
 
You can make what's called recado rojo (see above), and you can either use all the spices dry, and make a rub, or, roast the garlic, and add all of the dry (already pulverized to powder) to the processor, then add the garlic cloves (enough as a binder), and a little water. Whirl it around and you have your paste. The roasted garlic creams, the water thins it out, and it all binds into a wet rub.
 
That might be what you find up in NYC but in my area of West Texas the paste is sold in 1lb bricks by very few vendors
Its very hard to find,all the big chain stores have pushed it out of stock and no longer carry it
Many other popular regional products  that are made in the State are no longer sold in the State
 
Anyway,not all paste are the same,cant say Ive ever had a bad one but some are clearly better tasting then others.
Once you experience the basic flavor you can take it many directions with simple tweeks
We use tequila to dilute(thin) the paste to a consistency of melted chocolate.
Adding fresh lime and the zest,pepper powder makes a wicked chicken wing
Same mix works on whole beer butt chicken,the flexibility of Achiote' paste is near endless
 
There are several of us on this site from TX, and let me assure you, you can find annatto seeds just about anywhere in TX. As THP said, you can then make your own paste, if you like. No need to buy it on the internet when you can make it yourself. All you need to do are collect the individual ingredients and mix as desired.
 
Consider "garam masala" - a seasoning used in Indian cooking. I have never purchased "garam masala", as it is just a mix of various spices, which happen to vary by region as well as by individual users in India. I make my own. You can make your own "paste" by taking the ingredients THP specified and adding a bit of water (or tequila, whatever.) Get creative - you may prefer more of one individual spice over another, etc. - make it your own personal blend.
 
Just for giggles how many here are from Texas and 50+ miles from a Metro area?
Im 160+ from DFW
 
I've only had it once. But it was at a real deal place. I even had worm salt and fried crickets as part of an app.
 
Chipolenes(crickets/grasshoppers) are another tasty treat to work with.
Real deal mexican food isnt easy to come by.
Tacos and burritos are not legit Mexican.

Sorta like deepdish pizza, a Texan moved north and started that variation
 
Tacos most definitely are real Mex.
 
I won't argue burritos because I don't know if it's true or not, but they say in Mexico they were rolled as "portable" food and tied to burros, and the vendor would walk around selling them, so they got called burritos. You would rarely find them in restaurants, because they were rolled meals you could get on the plate in the restaurant.
 
But tacos not Mexican? Come on man! Tacos al pastorrrrr! Best ones I ever had were in Mexico. From small carts, stands, and walk-up restaurants. If you are saying they are American, they most certainly are not. They are the staple food of Mexico. Every meal is served with tortillas, like bread here. So even if you make your own taco, it's a taco. Not sure why you think it's not Mexican.
 
This thread boggles my mind, to be honest. Consider that regional styles of food are created precisely because certain ingredients are readily - available in the given region. Heck Texas used to be part of Mexico! There's a chance that you have achiote trees (where annatto seeds are harvested from) right in your area.

Edit for auto - correct on phone...
... and keep in mind that ancient Mayan are known to have traded as far North as Oklahoma.
 
Probably due to growing up in rural south Texas with real Mexicans and eating the legit peasant style of cooking from many regions across the border
We spent a great deal of time across the border as well,granted this was near 50yrs ago,never saw a taco or burrito served or sold any where
That gringo twist started showing up on the left coast and spread east and north,classic taco's were common by early 70 when Tastee Freeze and Dairy Queen added then to the menu's.
I have many older folk friends that are in their late 70's and 80's that have never eaten either even after living in  Mexico's interior till their late 40's
They all saw them on this side of the border
Sure there are exceptions but I would still side with first hand history before I believe something from a public school text book.
Far to many are locked into the public school indoctrination,they never leave that method of processing information or experiences.
 
Anytime yall want to do the REAL DEAL come to West Texas and Ill cook up some Armadillo Tacos
The Hot Pepper said:
Tacos most definitely are real Mex.
 
I won't argue burritos because I don't know if it's true or not, but they say in Mexico they were rolled as "portable" food and tied to burros, and the vendor would walk around selling them, so they got called burritos. You would rarely find them in restaurants, because they were rolled meals you could get on the plate in the restaurant.
 
But tacos not Mexican? Come on man! Tacos al pastorrrrr! Best ones I ever had were in Mexico. From small carts, stands, and walk-up restaurants. If you are saying they are American, they most certainly are not. They are the staple food of Mexico. Every meal is served with tortillas, like bread here. So even if you make your own taco, it's a taco. Not sure why you think it's not Mexican.
Click to expand...
 
Domino's pizza is bastardized Italian but the pie of dough, tomato/sauce, cheese is Napolitano. Just like tacos. We bastardized them, but they are certainly from Mexico, no book needed. Corn tortillas with meat (not the hard shell, talking real tacos).
 
But whatev! Back to achiote. :)
 
PS. :welcome:
 
Show some cooking!
 
Ive personally used it on
Squirrel
Rabbit
Nutra
Raccoon
Armadillio
Chicken
Turkey
Dove
Quail
Pigeon
Wild pig
Domestic Pig(live slaughter)
Goat
Sheep
Cow
Buffalo
Antelope
Elk
Bear(Oklahoma an NM)
Flathead,Blue Cat and Channel catfish
Several saltwater species,shrimp,crab etc
Cant forget achiote/caramel/pecans over ICE CREAM!!!
 
Once you really get the flavor profile down it can be cooked on or sauced/gravy on pretty much every animal protein
I do not do recipes,I learned to cook by sight and raw taste
 
…. almost forgot to post this.
 
P1010816.JPG

 
Yep - That'd be a sample of achiote seeds, cumin, allspice, cloves, Mexican oregano, and cinnamon, all ground up and mixed together with some sea salt. It's got some more seasonings and a 5-lb pork butt calling its name, but I'm telling it to be patient. 
 
 
Edit: Forgot to mention the dried Congo Trinidad pods in there. Can't forget the heat!
 
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