Revolcado is a traditional Guatemalan stew made using pork offal cuts, fresh tomatoes, vegetables, herbs and spices like chilli peppers and annatto.
The pork is cooked first while the chillies and tomatoes are blended together into a sauce. The sauce is then added to the meat before cooking them together. It is usually served with rice or tortillas.
The Spanish to English transation of Revolacdo is to knock over or to throw down but in Guatemala it also refers to a dish consisting of tomatoes and chillies. It is known as ‘Revolcado de Cabeza’, meaning head revolcado since it is made using the pigs head. The other pork offal cuts used are typically the pigs heart and liver.
Variations to this dish include using a variety of chillis for instance guajillo chillies for color, while guaque or puya chillies add heat. Some recipe variations include additional ingredients like potatoes or other root vegetables.
Origin & Cultural Significance
While the exact part of Guatemala where revolcado originated is unknown it is particularly popular in the region of Chimaltenango, where it is a staple dish.
Revolcado is one example of the fusion between Spanish and Indigenous cuisines since cooking offal cuts of meat was introduced to the Indigenous by the Spanish conquistadors. Revolcado has also become popular in other Latin American countries such as Peru, Bolivia and Colombia to name a few.
Guatemalan Revolcado Recipe
Revolcadois a traditional Guatemalan stew. It is made using pork offal cuts, fresh tomatoes, vegetables, herbs and spices like chilli peppers and annatto.
Ingredients
- Pig's head (cut in half) - 1
- Pork livers - 14 oz.
- Tomatoes - 21 oz.
- Red chili peppers - 3
- Corn tortillas - 3
- Onion - 1
- Green bell pepper - 1
- Cumin - 1 Tbsp
- Annatto powder - 1 Tbsp
- Corn oil - as needed
- Salt and pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Clean the pig's head.
- Using a large pot, submerge the head in salted water and boil until the ears and skin are soft, about 2 hours.
- Cut off the pigs ears, remove all the meat from the head and set aside.
- Boil the livers in salted water for 20 minutes.
- When all the meats are cooked and tender, chop them into pieces.
- Place the tortillas in water to soak.
- Fry the chopped meat in oil with the onion and green pepper.
- Roast the tomatoes and chillies.
- Chop the chillies and remove the skin from the tomatoes.
- Add the tomatoes, chillis and cumin into a blender and process.
- Add the soaked corn tortillas to the mixture and then blend.
- Blend the meat and add to the prepared sauce.
- Season with salt and pepper, add the annatto powder.
- Boil for 10 minutes and serve with rice.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 254Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 99mgSodium: 129mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 4gSugar: 8gProtein: 18g
Nutrition is provided and calculated by Nutritionix. It is for general information purposes and is only a rough estimation.
Photo credit: DiegoRamSi