Jarocho Chile Adobo

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Cast iron comal or heavy skillet
• •Molcajete or spice grinder
• •High-powered blender
• •Medium-mesh strainer
• •Glass jar with tight lid

Instructions

1. 1

   Toast the chiles

   Heat a dry comal over medium. Toast the guajillo, ancho, and chipotle separately, pressing them flat for a few seconds per side with tongs. The skins should darken slightly, soften, and smell warm, not burned. Guajillo is thin and burns quickly. Ancho can take a little more time. Chipotle is already smoked, so wake it up, don't punish it.

   If a chile turns black or smells acrid, throw it out. Burned chile makes bitter adobo. No me vengas con atajos.
2. 2

   Soften the chiles

   Put the toasted chiles in a bowl and cover with hot water. Hot water, not boiling. Let them soak for 18 to 20 minutes, until the flesh bends easily between your fingers. Save at least 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid. If it tastes harsh or bitter, use plain water later instead.

3. 3

   Char the aromatics

   On the same comal, roast the onion slices and unpeeled garlic. Turn them until the onion has browned edges and the garlic skins are spotted and papery, about 6 to 8 minutes. Peel the garlic. This is where the adobo gets depth before it ever touches meat.

4. 4

   Grind the herbs

   Crush the Mexican oregano, thyme, marjoram, cumin, cloves, crumbled bay leaf, salt, piloncillo, and black pepper in a molcajete or spice grinder. You are not making dust for a jar. You are opening the herbs so the vinegar can carry them through the chile paste.

5. 5

   Blend the adobo

   Drain the chiles and put them in a blender with the roasted onion, peeled garlic, vinegar, 1/4 cup soaking liquid, melted manteca, and the ground herb mixture. Blend until completely smooth, stopping to scrape the sides. The paste should be thick enough to coat a spoon but loose enough to spread over chicken or pork. Add another tablespoon or two of soaking liquid only if the blender refuses to move.

6. 6

   Strain for silk

   Push the adobo through a medium-mesh strainer into a bowl, scraping hard with a spoon. Discard the tough chile skins left behind. Some home cooks skip this when they are in a hurry. I don't. A strained adobo clings cleanly to the meat and does not leave papery chile skin under your teeth.

7. 7

   Rest the paste

   Let the adobo rest for at least 30 minutes before using, or refrigerate it overnight. The vinegar sharpness settles, the chile deepens, and the herbs stop tasting separate. This is why a jar of adobo in the refrigerator is power. Saber cocinar es saber vivir.

8. 8

   Use on meat

   For pollo jarocho or roasted pork, rub 1/2 cup adobo over each pound of meat and marinate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Roast chicken at 400F until the skin is burnished and the thickest part reaches 165F. Roast pork shoulder or country ribs covered at 325F until tender, then uncover to let the adobo darken and cling. Spoon the tray juices back over the meat. Así se hace y punto.

Chef Tips

• •Buy chiles that are flexible, glossy, and smell fruity. If the guajillo cracks like old paper, leave it with the vendor. You can have perfect technique and bad chiles and you will still get a bad adobo.
• •Chipotle meco gives a deeper, drier smoke. Chipotle morita gives fruitier heat. Both work in Veracruz-style adobo. Canned chipotle in adobo is a different product and brings tomato and sugar you did not ask for.
• •Manteca de cerdo belongs when this paste is going onto chicken or pork for roasting. The fat helps the chile carry across the surface and brown properly. La manteca es el sabor. If you are using the paste only to marinate fish, leave the lard out and use a spoon of mild olive oil.
• •This adobo is not meant to burn your mouth. Guajillo gives red color, ancho gives body and sweetness, chipotle gives smoke and controlled heat. Not all Mexican food is hot. Learn the chiles before you talk.
• •Serve the cooked meat with arroz blanco, frijoles negros, warm corn tortillas, jalapenos en escabeche, and a spoon of salsa bruja on the table if you are eating near the Gulf in your head.

Advance Preparation

• •The adobo keeps refrigerated in a clean glass jar for 5 days. Cover the surface with a thin spoonful of melted manteca if using it for pork or chicken within the week.
• •The adobo freezes well for 3 months in 1/2-cup portions. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and stir before using.
• •For deeper flavor, rub the adobo onto chicken or pork the night before cooking. Four hours works. Overnight is better. Recetas probadas y garantizadas.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 30g)