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+-- Thread: Hilachas and Kak-Ik (/showthread.php?tid=136188)
Hilachas and Kak-Ik - labradors - 05-30-2012
On my previous trip to Guatemala, I had seen some interesting, new (to me) things in the supermarket. Among them were some bottled sauces and some dry-mix packages intended for cooking some traditional Guatemalan dishes. I've never had any of these dishes, but the bottled sauces piqued my curiosity, so (since I had already been chatting about food with my host and his wife) I asked if the ready-made sauces were any good. My host's wife said that she had never used them, but that she had tasted them when a friend of hers had used them and they were very good.
Thus, I went ahead and brought back one bottle each of the sauces to make Hilachas and Kak-Ik.
Hilachas is a Spanish word essentially meaning "loose threads" because the shredded flank steak in the sauce looks like a bunch of loose threads. I guess you could say that it's a Mayan, Pre-Hispanic version of the Cuban Ropa Vieja with which many of us are already familiar, but it has a different flavour profile from that of Ropa Vieja. The sauce for Hilachas has not only tomatoes, bell peppers, green onions, stock, tortillas (ground up for thickening) tomatillos, guajillo and ancho chiles, garlic, cumin, achiote and cinnamon.
Kak-Ik is a Mayan stew made with turkey (or, in some cases, chicken, but it's supposed to be turkey). The sauce contains tomatoes, tomatillos, onions, red bell peppers, garlic, cilantro, ground pumpkin seeds, basil, spearmint, ground sesame seeds and guajillo and ancho chiles.
Can't wait to try these!
Re: Hilachas and Kak-Ik - cjs - 05-30-2012
Going to wait for tomorrow a.m. with a cup of coffee to read this slowly. Must get my a$$ in gear!
Re: Hilachas and Kak-Ik - Harborwitch - 05-30-2012
OMG! Those sound soooo good. I think I'll have to look at this again next week when I can cook again.
Re: Hilachas and Kak-Ik - DFen911 - 05-31-2012
I so want to try that Kak-Ik! Take pics of the sauces and post them, I'm very interested
Re: Hilachas and Kak-Ik - Harborwitch - 05-31-2012
Quote:
I so want to try that Kak-Ik! Take pics of the sauces and post them, I'm very interested
OH yeah!
Re: Hilachas and Kak-Ik - cjs - 05-31-2012
Oh my, Labs, the flavors you can almost taste!! Sure hope they live up to expectations. Might have to do a little searching.....
Re: Hilachas and Kak-Ik - labradors - 05-31-2012
Here are the ready-made ones, but I'm not sure if they're available anywhere in the States. Once I make the dishes, I'll post reviews and pictures. Even so, I bought these only as a starting point to have an idea of their flavours for trying actual recipes later on.
![[Image: hilachasrekdosyaesta.png]](http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/2826/hilachasrekdosyaesta.png)
![[Image: kakikrekdosyaesta.png]](http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/2293/kakikrekdosyaesta.png)
I'm hoping to get the meats for each of these today and to make the Hilachas tomorrow. The instructions on the jar say to cook the flank steak in a pressure cooker before shredding it and simmering it in the sauce, so I'll have to braise it a longer time in a regular pot - or maybe in the slow cooker.
The turkey for the Kak-Ik, on the other hand, will be frozen when I get it, so that will have to wait until it has thawed out.
Re: Hilachas and Kak-Ik - cjs - 05-31-2012
Had to go look and found this version - sounds very tasty!!
Hilachas
http://www.whats4eats.com/meats/hilachas-recipe
Kak-Ik
Well, I've never seen this warning before a recipe............
"Warning: if you decide to follow the link to Ancestral Cuisine: The Kak’ik, you will find the ritual of the preparation of Kak’ik which includes the killing, cleaning and cooking of the turkey through a series of photos. These are extremely graphical and may offend and disturb most people. Think of the entry as being rated NC-17. Vegetarians, please, do not follow the link."
http://antiguadailyphoto.com/2008/08/02/guatemalan-cuisine-the-kakik/
don't think I'm as interested in the soup as I am in the Hilachas. Watching the turkey thing, I can only remember the smell of wet feathers from butchering chickens and turkies on the farm.
Re: Hilachas and Kak-Ik - Gourmet_Mom - 05-31-2012
I think I'll forgo the experience.....bad memories best left undisturbed.
