You will always find adobo in my freezer or refrigerator. For me, it’s one of those staples! Some people can’t be with out ketchup or mayonnaise. I can’t be without Mexican adobo or a dried chile based salsa. It is essential to my Mexican cooking. It’s a delicious way to marinate pork, chicken or beef! Thin it out with some broth and add it to a roast for braising. In the mood for enchiladas? Combine it, broth, masa harina and spices for a tasty enchilada sauce. So many possibilities!
The best way to approach any chile sauce recipe is to start with a mild dried chile pepper. Chile guajillo is the most mild, in my experience, of the large dried chiles. Click the link to see more recipes using dried chiles. https://pinaenlacocina.com/dried-chiles-staples-of-a-mexican-kitchen/
Ingredients
- Ingredients
- 4 Chile ancho
- 4 Chile guajillo
- 4 Chile morita or chile de arbol
- 4-6 cloves of garlic skins on
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
- 1/3 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 ground cloves
- 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
- 2 1/2 cups of water
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Remove the stems and seeds from the larger chiles and only the stems from the morita or chile de árbol.
- Transfer them to a comal (griddland heat to medium. As soon as the chiles become aromatic, take a metal spatula and press them flat onto hot surface. This will help toast them a little quicker. Turn and repeat on other side. You want the skins to blister and blacken slightly, but still have some red color on the inside. If the get too burned (dark), they could become bitter.
- Transfer the chiles to a pot of simmering water and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let them steep and cool.
- Combine the dry spices and set aside. If you have the time, I would suggest grinding the spices fresh for even more aromatic flavor.
- Heat your comal or griddle to medium heat. Add the garlic with skins on and cook, dry roast, for 15 minutes. Turn as needed. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Using a slotted spoon or tongs, add the chiles to the blender. Also add the spices. Remove skins from garlic and add them. Finally add the vinegar, water and salt to taste. Blend on high until smooth. Strain through a wire-mesh strainer.
- Store in an airtight container or freeze for later. The flavors will just get better and better in a few days.
Toasting the dried chiles even for one minute brings out more flavor.
Chile Ancho
Chile Guajillo
Chile de Arbol
Carne Enchilada or Carne Adovada(adobo Beef) is one of my favorite ways to use this tasty this recipe. The meat is thin beef sirloin or milanesa-style. The adobo recipe above is enough for 2 pounds(6-8 thin steaks). Click onto link to see complete marinating and cooking instructions.
https://pinaenlacocina.com/cecina-de-res-a-la-plancha-my-favorite-marinade-recipe/
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Hello! Love your blog <3 I was hoping you could help me resolve an issue I am running into with dried chiles. For example, I do rinse my dried guajillos because sometimes they have dirt or dust on them. I rinse & pat dry, then de-seed & devein. However, after I make my chile colorado (strained thru a sieve and all) it is grainy/sandy/gritty! It’s happened several times now even with fresher, pliable dried chiles. Have you (or anyone reading) had this problem? How do you fix it? Thanks in advance!
Hi Jessica. I have never really noticed my chile sauce to be gritty after straining it. I use a fine wire mesh strainer for straining.
Thank you for all your wonderful recipes. It reminds of all the great times sharing great meals when we lived in California. We live in Maine now, so I have learned how to make great meals fro using your authentic recipes. Thanks again….
Thank you Char for the feedback. it always inspires me to continue sharing.
Hi Sonia!
You mentioned that you freeze your adobo sauce. I froze chili colorado con puerco once before, but when i unfroze it to prepare it, the sauce stayed separated no matter what I did. Do you have any suggestions on freezing adobo sauce?
Thanks so much!
Niko, even after you let it simmer the sauce was separate? Wow! That has never happened to me before. It usually thickens up when I reheat mine. Not sure why it would stay separate.
Maybe I didn’t let it simmer long enough – I made mine and just lightly hear it in a frying pan…so maybe that’s my issue! Thanks for the red!
You’re Welcome Niko.
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