Recaíto (also sometimes called sofrito) is a cooking base made of pureed aromatics. Its distinctive green color comes from the inclusion of green peppers and herbs. Recaíto does not usually include tomatoes, although they may be added for extra flavor.

Preparation

Recaíto is mix of

onions An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus '' Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the on ...

, garlic, ajicitos, green bell pepper, and much

cilantro Coriander (;

and

culantro ''Eryngium foetidum'' is a tropical perennial herb in the family Apiaceae. Common names include culantro ( or ), recao, chadon beni (pronounced shadow benny), Mexican coriander, bhandhania, long coriander, sawtooth coriander, and ngò gai. It i ...

. All of the ingredients are blended until smooth.

Cooking

Ham, salted pork, and/or tocino (bacon) is first browned in a pot with oil, lard, olive oil or

annatto Annatto ( or ) is an orange-red condiment and food coloring derived from the seeds of the achiote tree ('' Bixa orellana''), native to tropical America. It is often used to impart a yellow or orange color to foods, but sometimes also for its f ...

oil. Recaíto is then added and is cooked until most of its liquid has evaporated. When done, tomato sauce (as a thickener or bonding agent) is added with a mix of stuffed olives and capers called alcaparrado, spices and dry herbs. Legumes and other meats are then added to the pot and slowly cooked. Recaíto is usually a base for stews, soups and ''

picadillo Picadillo (, "mince") is a traditional dish in many Latin American countries and the Philippines. It is made with ground meat (most commonly beef), tomatoes (tomato sauce may be used as a substitute), and also raisins, olives, and other ingredien ...

'' in most Puerto Rican homes.

Origin

''Recaíto'' originally refers to a message or an order made. When most people did not have refrigeration, they had to buy an onion, cilantro leaves, and peppers to mash in a '' pilon''. Usually a housewife would leave an order (''recado'') for these ingredients to be picked up later. It is said that this is the origin of the word ''recaíto'', which translates to English as "little order/errand".

External links

Recaíto recipe
Puerto Rican cuisine {{PuertoRico-stub