Main Ingredients:

2 Bell peppers, chopped

2 Tomatoes, chopped

1 Medium-size onion, chopped

3 Cloves garlic, crushed

2 Sprigs fresh coriander

1 Sprig parsley

1 tb Lard

1 ts Cleaned achiote

1/4 lb Ham, minced

1/4 lb Salt pork, minced

Cooking Preparation of the Recipe:

Place the bell peppers, tomatoes, onion, garlic, coriander, and parsley in a blender and mix until a smooth paste. (This can be kept in the refrigerator in a sterilized glass jar.) Heat the lard in a skillet and add the achiote, which has been cleaned and picked over. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the oil has taken on a orangish hue. (This oil can be prepared in advance and kept in the refrigerator.) When ready to prepare a dish calling for sofrito, saute the vegetable and herb mixture in the oil, along with the ham and salt pork. Be sure that they saute and do not fry.

Chopped stuffed olives and a pinch of dried oregano may be added to the sofrito before using it in a variety of Puerto Rican recipes. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

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