Instructions

1. 1. Place 1/2 cup of Achiote/Annatto seeds in 2 cups chicken broth (or water) and soak for 2 hours.
   
2. While seeds are soaking, cook 6 pieces of bacon and cut into small pieces. Set bacon aside. (you can skip step 2, if you are using the pre cooked bacon).
   
3. Using a small amount of bacon grease (or a little olive oil if you used pre cooked bacon), saute the chopped onion until tender and golden brown. Set onion aside with bacon.
   
4. After seeds have soaked for 2 hours, put on latex glove on one hand and wash the latex gloved hand in water to remove any powder.
   
5. Using the gloved hand, reach into the soaking seeds and use your hand to rub the seeds together to bring out more of the rusty murky color and flavors. Continue doing this for about 4 minutes. (The glove is highly recommended during this because these seeds will stain your fingers. They are, after all, a very common die agent in many common products, including cheddar cheese).
   
6. Strain the water, removing the seeds. You can now dispose of the seeds. They will not be needed anymore. Set the red liquid aside.
   
7. Place 2 cups of rice in a dish and fill with water. Using a spoon, mix the rice around to wash the starch off of the rice. Drain the water from the rice.
   
8. Repeat previous step 3 or 4 times until the water no longer turns murky from the starch. Drain rice and empty rice into rice cooker.
   
9. Take your two cups of red liquid (add more water if you do not have two full cups at this time. Sometimes the seeds absorb some of the water) and pour the red liquid into the rice cooker with the rice.
   
10. Add 2 Tbsp of olive oil and soak the rice in the red liquid for 10 minutes, before turning the rice cooker on.
    
11. Turn on the rice cooker and allow rice to fully cook. DO NOT open the lid of the rice cooker until the rice has cooked for about 15 minutes AFTER the rice cooker has finished cooking.
    
12. Mix in bacon and onions into the rice well, and serve immediately.
    
13. Note: Some people add the bacon and onions before cooking the rice. I prefer to add it after the rice is cooked because I find that the water or liquid tends to remove the flavor from the onions during cook time. Adding them in the end assures their golden flavor remains in tact.