Picadillo de Chicasquil (Costa Rican Wild Greens Hash for Tortillas)

Quick details

• Prep: long prep, mill chicasquil leaves and chayote; dice potatoes
• Parboil leaves: 20 to 30 minutes
• Centrifuge chayote: 10 to 20 minutes (until noticeably drier)
• Simmer to finish: 10 to 15 minutes

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Ingredients

• 4 cups chicasquil leaves, picked and rinsed well
• 2 large dark green chayote sazón (chayote squash)
• 1 kg potatoes, diced
• $\frac{1}{2}$ kg cecina (cured beef), cooked and chopped
• Garlic, to taste
• 2 to 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, to taste
• 1 tbsp achiote (paste or powder)
• Lard (or cooking oil), to taste
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds (culantro en semilla), soaked and ground
• Salt, to taste

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Instructions

1) Prep and parboil the chicasquil leaves

1. Pick the chicasquil leaves, discarding tough stems.
2. Rinse very well.
3. Bring a pot of water to a boil and parboil the leaves for 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Drain and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking.
5. Squeeze firmly to remove excess water.

2) Mill the leaves (stone mill preferred)

1. Pass the parboiled leaves through a hand mill, preferably a stone mill, until you get a rustic, cohesive green paste.
2. Set aside.

3) Prep the chayote (mill, then centrifuge to remove water)

1. Wash and peel the dark green chayote sazón.
2. Cut in half and remove the core/seed.
3. Pass the chayote through a mill (rather than grinding) to create fine shreds or a pulpy mash.
4. Centrifuge the milled chayote to remove water.
   • If you have a salad spinner, spin in batches until the chayote looks noticeably drier.
   • Alternatively, wrap in a clean cloth and squeeze firmly.

4) Prep the other ingredients

1. Peel and dice the potatoes, then rinse with cold water.
2. Cook the cecina with aromatics to taste, then chop.
3. Soak the coriander seeds in hot water. Let cool, then grind.

5) Build the sauté base

1. In a pot, heat lard (or oil).
2. Fry the garlic until golden.
3. Stir in the achiote.

6) Combine and finish

1. Add the potatoes and stir to coat in the achiote base.
2. Add the chopped cecina and ground coriander seeds.
3. Add the Worcestershire sauce.
4. Add the milled chicasquil paste and the centrifuged chayote.
5. Mix well and simmer on low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender and the mixture is cohesive.
6. Taste and adjust salt and Worcestershire.

7) Serve

1. Serve warm on heated tortillas.

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Serving ideas

• Top with pickled onions, lime, or a simple cabbage salad.
• Serve alongside rice and beans for a full meal.

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Notes

• Milling (especially with a stone mill) gives the chicasquil a more traditional texture than grinding.
• Removing water from the chayote is key. If the mixture looks wet, centrifuge or squeeze the chayote again.
• If you cannot find chicasquil, you can test with tender greens like spinach, but the flavor will be different.