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'' , from Latin ), 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 onion which was classified ...

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plants in the genus '' Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chives, Welsh onion, and Chinese onion. Garlic is native to central and south Asia, str ...

, ajicitos, green

bell pepper The bell pepper (also known as sweet pepper, paprika, pepper, capsicum or, in some parts of the US midwest, mango) is the fruit of plants in the Grossum Group of the species ''Capsicum annuum''. Cultivars of the plant produce fruits in diff ...

, and much

cilantro Coriander (), whose leaves are known as cilantro () in the U.S. and parts of Canada, and dhania in parts of South Asia and Africa, is an annual herb (''Coriandrum sativum'') in the family Apiaceae. Most people perceive the leaves as ha ...

and

culantro ''Eryngium foetidum'' is a tropical perennial herb in the family Apiaceae. Common names include culantro (Costa Rica and Panama) ( or ), cimarrón, recao (Puerto Rico), chardon béni (France), Mexican coriander, samat, bandhaniya, long coriand ...

. 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 tropics, tropical parts of the Americas. It is often used to impart a yellow to red-orange color to foods, but ...

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 including Mexico and Cuba, as well as the Philippines. It is made with ground meat (most commonly beef), tomatoes (tomato sauce may be used as a substitute), and also ra ...

'' 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 Pilon, Pilón or PILON may refer to: * Pilon (surname) * Pilon (ankle), the distal articular segment of the tibia ** pilon fracture * Pilón, a Cuban musical form and a popular dance created in the 1950s * Pilón, Cuba, a town and municipality in ...

''. 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-culture-stub