Black “Recado”

This delicacy represents the gastronomic heritage of the Mayans and the Spanish additions with two protagonists: the black “recado” and the "but" or ground turkey meat balls. 

In pre-Hispanic times, the black “recado” was prepared with dried red chilies that were ground into a paste that was later diluted to make a kind of not so thick mole with which the meat of the prey they hunted was covered. During the conquest, the recipe was prepared with pork and “Castilla” hen, but now it is used with turkey. 

The Kinich cooks explain that the traditional technique for cooking the black filling is done underground with the aim that the smoke flavor is well impregnated. A hole about 40 centimeters deep is dug, firewood or charcoal is added and as soon as the coals start to burn, stones are placed and on top of them, a pot with the stew. It is then covered with soil until the meat is cooked and ready. 

To prepare black “recado” the country or “paisita” chiles, dried, are burned until they are completely black. They are then ground with spices -including pepper, cloves and cumin-, roasted garlic and roasted onions until they form a paste, which is then slipped with water. 


Another way is as follows


Mix made with burnt corn tortilla, Castilla and Tabasco peppers, garlic, achiote, oregano, cumin, epazote and a variety of dry red chili locally called Campeche or Yucatecan, which is charred, soaked to remove the bitterness, and ground with the other ingredients. The burnt chili and tortilla are what give the characteristic color to this “recado”. With it the famous black filling is prepared. It is also known as “recado de chilmole”, as it is the base of Yucatecan “chilmole”. It is often bought in the markets, because burning the chilies is annoying for the nose and eyes, although despite this many people do it at home.

PELÓN PORK, CHILMOLE, SMOKE

(4 servings)

Ingredients:

  • 4 pieces burnt scallions 
  • 12 sheets of nasturtium 
  • 12 sheets of sorrel 
  • 12 monalisa flowers 
  • 12 sheets of mustard greens 
  • 100 grams Yucatecan lime impregnated onion 
  • 200 grams of Burnt eggplant puree 
  • 200 grams of Burned onion puree 
  • 8 pieces of fried plantain cylinders 
  • 50 grams Xcatic Chili in julienne 
  • 20 milliliters of olive oil 
  • 200 grams of textured black beans 
  • 500 milliliters of pork stock 
  • 200 milliliters Yucatecan Chilmole 

Process:

For the pork

1

    400 grams of pork belly 

    Vacuum bags 

    Brine (1 liter of water x 80 grams of rock salt) 

    Brine the pork belly for 30 minutes, dry and place it in the vacuum bag, pack 100% and immerse in a thermocirculator at 82 ° C for 12 hrs. 

    Cool it down, make portions in 2.5 cm x 5 cm rectangles and reserve in a 100% vacuum bag. 

    Note: regenerate the pork belly in the thermocirculator at 85 ° C for 10 min at the time of plating, seal on the skin side 

For the chilmole

2

    100 grams of black “recado” 

    100 grams of tomato 

    50 grams of onion 

    500 milliliters of water 

    500 milliliters of pork stock 

    200 grams of bean paste 

    2.5 xanthan gum 


    FOR THE BEAN PASTE

    Cook the beans in water with epazote, onion and garlic. Crush the beans with a little of the cooking broth. Reserve.


    PROCESS:

    Dilute the black “recado” paste in the water, add the tomato and the onion in quarters, boil until the tomato is well cooked, strain, add bean paste, season with salt and reserve. 

For the textured bean broth

3

    1 Liter of Bean Broth 

     .05 grams Xanthan gum 

    4 grams of salt 

    Reduce the bean broth until obtaining 500ml, add the salt, xanthan gum and reserve. 


    For the burned onion puree

    250 grams of burned onion 

    4 grams of salt 

    15 grams of sugar 

    2 grams of agar agar 


    Burn the onion directly with the charcoal, once is ready, cool it down and place it in a vacuum bag with the other ingredients. Seal and cook at low temperature using a thermocirculator at 70 ° C x 4 days. 

    Once the cooking is finished, crush everything, bring to heat, add the agar agar to a boil, strain, crush and cool. 

For the flavored eggplant puree

4

    3 pieces of eggplant

    Burn the whole eggplant over direct heat, until the skin is completely burned, remove from the heat and remove the peduncle and let it rest.

    Blend perfectly in the Thermomix at medium temperature with the help of a little olive oil, it must have a smooth and shiny mash.


    For the pickled onion


    50 grams of white onion 

    50 milliliters of Yucatecan lime juice 

    3 grams of salt 


    Cut the onion into julienne strips, place it in a container, add the juice and salt, impregnate it in a vacuum machine and then let it rest for 4 hours.

For Chile Xcatic

5

    1 piece of xcatic chili 

    100 milliliters of water c / s ice 

    Open and devein the chili, removing the inner layer until you get a very thin cut, then cut it into julienne strips and let it rest in water, let it cool down with ice water on a refrigerator.


    For the onion ash

    500 grams of onion 

    Carbonize the onion on a griddle, process until a fine powder is obtained.