TASTES | Brazil: Achiote Pork with Brazilian Black Beans and Yellow Rice
BRAZIL | Michelle N Warner, HELO Magazine, Jan – Feb 2011
Though it’s used in foods as ubiquitous as class yellow cheddar cheese, you’ve probably never heard of the achiote plant and its versatile seed, annatto.
That classic orangey-yellow color that people associate with cheddar cheese is an added natural coloring from the annatto seed. Popularly used as a food coloring, it is even used as a cheap substitute for saffron, or as a natural dye, and even used as makeup in South America.
Annatto seeds also have light, sweet, peppery flavor that is great when ground up and used for marinades and rubs in cooking. The name “achiote” refers to the entire plant, but the small, pebble-like annatto seeds are what are actually used to cook with though both names are used interchangeably in food labeling.
Although I’ve lived both in the cheese-loving Midwest and the spice-rich Southwest I didn’t realize until I began professionally working in the food world and developing my own recipes that cheese’s close relation to ‘arzzo con annatto,’ or fish tacos marinated with achiote paste. I first wandered down this research path of annatto seeds after falling in love with a simple dinner of rice and beans. This ethnically universal dish has became a lesson in cultural differences and ways to use common simple ingredients to make really satisfying meals.
One of my favorite comfort foods from college is black beans and yellow rice, a simple meal that is both nutritional and very affordable. I first tried this dish when its savory blend wafted into my room, cooked by a roommate who other than this dish, stuck to eating store-bought humus, bag salad and chocolate kisses.
Despite making it weekly and always being happy to share, my roommate was reluctant to share the recipe, claiming, “If I showed you how to cook it then you wouldn’t need me anymore.” After assuring her I would still keep her around, I got the details.” OR “After being assured I would still keep her around, she gave me the details.
Eliza had lived in Tucson Arizona where we went to college her entire life. Before starting college in the same town she grew up in Eliza decided to spend some time in another country and see more of the world. The study abroad program she applied to ended up sending her to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
She was initially set up with a wealthy family that she had a lot of trouble connecting with. After a few months, totally alienated by her host family for not assimilating or wanting to stay within the social bubble of the upper class, she looked for a way out.
She quickly became friends with one of the housekeepers employed by her host family. Anxious to learn more about other parts and people in Rio and to get out of the home she was staying in, Eliza arranged with her study abroad company to move in with the housekeeper and her family, where instead of just staying for one year, she spent two becoming deeply involved in the culture and community.
Eliza saw a whole new side of Brazil; where people sleep in hammocks in communal rooms and clothes are washed at the river not in a washing machine. There in favela she learned about different forms of food and art and dance. One thing Eliza quickly learned was that food in this community was scarce and that meals were repeated not just weekly but daily.
The black beans and yellow rice that Eliza was making me was something her new host family prepared daily. Though she she thought she would get sick of it Eliza linked this repetition with the simplicity she loved about life with her new family in Brazil.
When Eliza taught me how to make her host mother’s beans & rice she was using a Chinese yellow curry powder because that is all that she knew that would make the rice yellow. The yellow coloring in traditional curry powder is the spice turmeric an East Asian spice though turmeric is sometimes used in food in Brazil she new wasn’t correct. After leaning more about ingredients and origins of spices I learned that the yellow in this dish was from the annatto seed, which is often ground up and added to salty seasoning packets sold by Goya called Sazon con Annatto or Achiote or.
Below I’ve included a recipe which is my take on Eliza’s Black Beans and Yellow Rice. In order to make it a more complete meal, I’ve also added an achiote-braised pork shoulder. You can start with the rice and beans but this pork shoulder is a win at any meat loving dinner table.
Black beans and Yellow Rice Serves 4-5
Black Beans- Recipe
1 pound dried black beans
3 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
2 teaspoons of salt
1 teaspoon of ground black pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup of chicken stock
2 limes cut into wedges for finishing
Clean beans by rinsing in a colander, and looking through for small pebbles and sticks. Soak beans in three times the water over night, about 8 hours not more than 12hrs or they will get too mushy. Once soaked discard and floating debris and drain the beans.
Heat large heavy bottomed pot and add cumin seeds and toast till fragrant about 2 minutes. Add beans and water to cover stir in salt, black and red pepper. Bring water to a simmer. Once simmering reduce heat slightly and simmer covered stirring occasionally until beans are tender, about 1-1 ½ hours. Once tender remove cover and add 1 cup of chicken stock and cook another 20 minutes.
Yellow Rice – Recipe
3 tablespoons of vegetable oil or butter
1 small yellow onion chopped
2 cups short grained white rice
4 cups chicken stock
1 packet of Goya Sazon con Achiote or Annatto
1 teaspoon of salt
Heat medium saucepan and add oil and onion. Over medium heat sauté onions until clear and soft. Add rice and stirring constantly toast rice for about 1-2 minutes. Rice should not take on any color it will just become fragrant.
Add chicken stock and Sazon packet and salt, stir and bring to a boil. Once boiling stir and reduce heat to a low simmer. Cover rice and cook for about 20min, until water has been absorbed and rice is fluffy.
Once both Rice and beans are cooked serve with lime wedges.
Achiote Braised Pork Shoulder
3-4lb bone in pork shoulder
1 3.5 oz box of Achiote Paste
3 Tbs or honey
1 Qt of Chicken stock
Vegetable/ or neutral flavored oil
Garnish:
Queso Fresco
Corn Tortilla
The Night Before:
If skin is on the pork remove and discard. Take knife and and separate fat cap from flesh leaving just the last 1” still attached.
Take half of the block of the Achiote paste and mash in bowl w/ 1 Tbs of water.
Rub paste all over pork both under the fat cap and over it.
Heat a large heavy bottomed pan on high heat add veg oil to coat pan.
Once oil ripples the pan is hot enough add pork and sear to nice dark brown on all sides including under fat cap.
Once pork is seared remove from pan and set aside
In a crockpot add ½ of remaining Achiote paste and mash with ½ qt of chicken stock to break it up. Then add honey and stir to dissolve it.
Next add the pork and add remaining chicken stock until pork is ¾ submerged in liquid.
Cover and place Crock pot insert in fridge to marinate over night.
The Next Day:
Place in insert in crock warmer and set on low. It will be fine cooking for 8-10 hrs.
Once meat is falling off the bone and fork tender it is done. Remove pork shoulder from the liquid and make large shreds of the meat with a fork and discard the fat.
To add a little crispiness to the shreds Preheat oven to 350 and roast the meat for 15 minutes.
While meat is roasting you can remove the fat from the juices in the crock and transfer the liquid to a small saucepan and reduce it by half.
Once the pork has crisped up it can be put in a bowl and tossed with ¼ cup of the reduced sauce and leave the extra for adding as needed.
Serve with warmed corn tortillas and queso freso.