Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. Mayan culinary tradition adapted with Spanish spice trade ingredients after the conquest.
Recados (from the Spanish recado, a seasoning, message, or errand) are the flavour pastes of the Yucatán — concentrated spice mixtures rubbed onto meats before cooking or stirred into soups and stews. Three canonical recados define Yucatecan cuisine: Recado rojo (achiote paste) — the most important, used for cochinita pibil, pollo pibil, and poc chuc. Made from ground annatto seeds (Bixa orellana), dried Mexican oregano, cumin, coriander seed, black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, garlic, and naranja agria juice. The annatto provides both vivid orange-red colour and an earthy, slightly astringent flavour. Commercial versions (El Yucateco brand) are widely available. Recado negro — a paste made from charred chile (chile negro), burnt spices, tomato, and tortilla — deep black in colour and intensely smoky, used for relleno negro (turkey in black sauce). This is Yucatáns equivalent of mole negro. Recado blanco — white paste for pollo en escabeche, using no chiles; spiced with cumin, oregano, and garlic.
Recado rojo has an earthy, floral, slightly astringent flavour from the annatto, warm spice from cinnamon and cumin, and citrus brightness from naranja agria. It is unique in world cuisine.
For recado rojo: the annatto seeds must be toasted briefly before grinding — raw annatto seeds are very hard and grind poorly The paste should be smooth and thoroughly integrated — grind the dry spices first, then add the wet ingredients Recados improve with rest — make 24 hours in advance for maximum flavour penetration
El Yucateco brand recado rojo paste (achiote paste) available in US Latin markets is an excellent commercial substitute; supplement with fresh garlic and naranja agria juice For recado negro, the degree of burning (both the chile and the tortilla) is controlled and specific — the paste should be black but not acrid
Attempting to grind raw, untoasted annatto seeds in a spice grinder — they will crack the grinder blades; soften briefly in warm water or toast
Diana Kennedy, The Art of Mexican Cooking; Rick Bayless, Authentic Mexican