Recaíto
Recaíto is Puerto Rican green cooking base mix.
Preparation
Recaíto is mix of onions, garlic, ajicitos, green bell pepper, green cubanelle pepper and lots of cilantro and culantro. All of the ingredients are put blended until smooth. Recaíto is basically the same ingredients as Puerto Rican Sofrito, but without red cubanelle, and tomatoes.
Cooking
Recaíto is traditionally cooked with tomato sauce, olive oil or annatto oil, tocino (bacon), salted pork and cured ham. A mix of stuffed olives and capers called alcaparrado are usually added with spices such as bay leaf, cumin, sazón, and adobo. Recaíto is usually a base for stews, soups and picadillo 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 will leave an order for it and someone will pick it up later. It is said that this is where the word recado originated from. In time the name changed to recaíto, which roughly translates to English as "little culantro."