Sonoran Carne Asada Adobo

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Cast iron comal or heavy skillet for toasting chiles, spices, and garlic
• •Volcanic stone molcajete or a small spice grinder
• •High-powered blender
• •Small skillet for frying the adobo
• •Clean glass jar with a tight lid for storing

Instructions

1. 1

   Toast the chiles

   Heat a dry comal or heavy skillet over medium. Toast the chile colorado and chile cola de rata separately, pressing them flat against the hot surface for about 20 to 30 seconds per side. They should puff, soften, and release a smell like dried fruit and desert dust. Do not let them blacken. The chile cola de rata is thin and turns bitter the moment you look away.

   The chile colorado is what gives this adobo its name and its color. In Sonora it is called colorado or california depending on the town. If your vendor calls it guajillo, ask whether it was grown in the north. The norteño guajillo is sweeter and less acidic than the central Mexican ones.
2. 2

   Soak the chiles

   Place the toasted chiles in a heatproof bowl and pour hot tap water over them, not boiling. Boiling water cooks the skin and turns the adobo bitter. Press them down with a small plate to keep them submerged and let them soften for 15 to 20 minutes. They are ready when the flesh gives easily to a fingernail.

3. 3

   Toast the spices

   Wipe the comal clean and return it to medium-low heat. Add the cumin seeds, peppercorns, and cloves. Toast for 60 to 90 seconds, shaking the pan, until the cumin smells like a Sonoran kitchen at dinnertime. Tip them into a molcajete or spice grinder with the oregano and grind to a coarse powder. Whole spices toasted fresh have no equal. No me vengas con atajos.

4. 4

   Char the garlic

   Dry-char the peeled garlic cloves on the same comal over medium heat, turning them until the skins blister with black spots and the inside softens, about 5 to 6 minutes. This is the northern technique. You want the sharpness of raw garlic gone and a slight smoke on the outside. The garlic should yield when you press it with the back of a knife.

5. 5

   Blend the adobo

   Drain the chiles, reserving about 1/3 cup of the soaking liquid. Tear them into rough pieces and drop them into a blender. Add the charred garlic, the ground spices, the sour orange juice, the apple cider vinegar, the flaky sea salt, and the kosher salt. Blend on high until you have a thick, clinging paste, about 90 seconds. If the blender struggles, add the reserved soaking water a tablespoon at a time. You want the consistency of soft mustard, not a sauce. The adobo has to coat the meat, not pool around it.

6. 6

   Fry the adobo

   Melt the beef fat or lard in a small skillet over medium heat. When it shimmers, pour in the adobo. It will sputter. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the color darkens to a deep brick red and the fat starts to bead at the edges. La manteca es el sabor. Frying the adobo cooks the raw chile and binds the spices to the fat. Skip this step and the meat will taste like a marinade, not a Sonoran adobo. Let the adobo cool to room temperature before using.

   If you are not using the adobo on meat tonight, transfer it warm into a clean glass jar, press a thin film of fat across the surface, and refrigerate. It will keep for two weeks and the flavor will deepen for the first three days.
7. 7

   Rub the meat

   If you are dressing carne asada now, pat the beef dry with paper towels. Spread the cooled adobo across both sides of the meat with your hands. Use enough to coat, not drown. About one heaping tablespoon per pound is right. Let the meat sit in the adobo at room temperature for 30 minutes if you are grilling soon, or wrap it and refrigerate for up to 8 hours. Longer than that and the acid starts to break the proteins down too far and the meat turns mealy on the grill.

8. 8

   Grill over mesquite

   Build a hot mesquite fire. The Sonoran mesquite gives the smoke its sweetness and the adobo gives the meat its flavor. The mesquite is supposed to finish the flavor, not invent it. Grill the meat hot and fast over the coals, 2 to 3 minutes per side for skirt steak. Pull it when the adobo has charred at the edges and the inside is still pink. Finish with another pinch of sea salt and let it rest 5 minutes before slicing against the grain. Asi se hace y punto.

Chef Tips

• •The chile colorado is the chile of northwestern Mexico. In U.S. markets it is often labeled chile california. If your vendor only has central Mexican guajillo, it will work, but the adobo will be slightly more acidic. Compensate with an extra pinch of sea salt and a few drops more naranja agria.
• •Naranja agria is the acid of the northwest. If you cannot find it, the half-orange-half-lime substitution is the accepted compromise across Sonora and Sinaloa when sour orange is out of season. Bottled sour orange is a last resort. It will work, but the flavor is flatter.
• •Sonoran mesquite is essential to the carne asada this adobo was built for. If you do not have mesquite, do not substitute hickory or oak, they fight the chile colorado. Use lump hardwood charcoal alone. The adobo is strong enough to carry the dish without smoke.
• •Do not skip the frying step. An adobo that has not been fried in fat tastes raw and grassy on the meat. Recetas probadas y garantizadas only when you respect the technique.

Advance Preparation

• •The adobo can be made up to two weeks ahead. Store in a clean glass jar in the refrigerator with a thin film of fat across the surface to seal it. The flavor deepens over the first three days.
• •For best results, rub the meat at least 30 minutes before grilling. Up to 8 hours is fine, but past that the sour orange begins to break down the proteins and the meat goes mealy on the grill.
• •The adobo freezes well in 2-tablespoon portions. Drop a frozen cube straight onto warm meat and it will thaw into the rub as the meat comes to room temperature.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 125g)