The Adobo Project

R

richard-in-cincy

Well-known member
Here’s a little reading material – lol!

As you’ll see from the following recipes, a small batch of homemade adobo goes a long way. The recipes are in the order that I made them and my notes follow each.

I also made grilled chicken adobo that was an easy adaptation of one in the book that I got from my local library. I marinated four large boneless, skinless chicken breasts for 1.5 hours and grilled them on my double-burner grill pan. They turned out with a nice spicy-coated exterior and the chicken was tender inside. I’m sure the chicken would taste wonderful thinly sliced for a salad.

If you see any recipes that I didn’t post but were mentioned in the book, let me know and I’ll post them.

 
Adobo Sauce

ADOBO

Makes about ½ cup

Adobo is a seasoning made from dried chiles, herbs, and spices, and very often includes vinegar. In my version I omit the vinegar, because I usually add it later when I use the adobo as the base for other sauces – this gives me a little more control over the flavor of the finished sauce. The adobo is quick to make: the ingredients are briefly cooked and then all ground together. I recommend making a large batch because it’s one of those sauces that the longer it’s stored, the better it tastes. It can be refrigerated, tightly covered, for several weeks. The adobo on its own is great for marinating meats, poultry, and fish, and also for rubbing on food before grilling. This recipe can be easily tripled, quadrupled, or even more.

5 dried guajillo chiles
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/4 white Spanish onion, sliced
1 small clove garlic
2 whole cloves
3 cinnamon sticks (6 inch), broken into thirds
12 whole black peppercorns
1/8 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed
1-1/2 cups water

Remove the stems, seeds, and membranes from the chiles. Break the chiles into large pieces and set aside.

In a medium saucepan or skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, and cumin seeds. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and dark golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add the chiles and cook until darkened on both sides, about 1 minute.

Add the 1-1/2 cups of water—it should cover the ingredients about halfway. Gently boil until reduced by half, 5 to 8 minutes. Scrape into a blender and puree. Pour into a medium-mesh sieve set over a bowl and press the solids with a rubber spatula or the back of a ladle to release the liquid. Discard the solids. Store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for several weeks.

Modern Mexican Flavors
Richard Sandoval
Published in 2002 by
Stewart, Tabori & Chang

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My notes:

I used my one and only fine mesh (2-ply) sieve and it was time consuming to press the paste through with the back of a wooden spoon. Try and use a medium sieve like Richard mentioned.

The chef at a local specialty shop recommended using chipotle chiles in lieu of the guajillo. (I had already been to a Mexican grocer a few days before finding this recipe and didn’t want to go back for a while). Low and behold, I found the dried guajillos in the Hispanic section at my local Pathmark.

 
Balsamic Vinegar-Adobo Sauce

BALSAMIC VINEGAR-ADOBO SAUCE

Makes ½ cup

This bittersweet vinegar reduction is a flavorful garnish and can be drizzled over just about anything, including seafood and even salads. In my Chuleta de Puerco en Vinagre Balsamico (see recipe, page 152), I serve a stuffed pork chop in a pool of the reduction.

3 cups balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Adobo (see recipe, page 192)
1 tablespoon heavy cream
¼ teaspoon salt

In a medium saucepan, combine the vinegar, Adobo, and heavy cream (the cream may look curdled). Gently boil until reduced to ½ cup, about 20 minutes. Add the salt. Store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Modern Mexican Flavors
Richard Sandoval
Published in 2002 by
Stewart, Tabori & Chang

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My notes:

Good stuff. I drizzled it over some pan-fried sea scallops, but it didn’t work for me. I used the rest for the leftover mashed potatoes from the “Puerco.” Imagination is needed to use this up within three days…

 
Chuleta de Puerco en Vinagre Balsamico

CHULETA DE PUERCO EN VINAGRE BALSAMICO

Pork Chop Stuffed with Chorizo and Apples in Balsamic Vinegar-Adobo Sauce, with Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Makes 4 servings

Garlic Mashed Potatoes (see recipe, page 204)

CHORIZO AND APPLE STUFFING

1 chorizo sausage (about 6 ounces), cut into ¼-inch dice
1 small Granny Smith apple, peeled, halved, cored, and cut into ¼-inch dice
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

PORK CHOPS

4 pork chops, about 1 inch thick (8 to 10 ounces each)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil

Balsamic Vinegar-Adobo Sauce (see recipe, page 188)

Garnish (optional)
Green grapes, halved
Chive Oil (see recipe, page 190)

Stuffing the pork chops with diced apples and chorizo helps to keep the meat moist during the cooking. The creamy garlic mashed potatoes are perfect for soaking up the balsamic vinegar sauce.

Prepare the Garlic Mashed Potatoes and keep warm in a 200°F oven.

Chorizo and Apple Stuffing Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and sauté until darkened, about 6 minutes. Add the apple and sauté until slightly softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with the white pepper and set aside.

Pork Chops Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut a horizontal pocket into the side of each pork chop without piercing the other side. Season with the salt and pepper. Spoon the stuffing into the chops. In a large skillet, heat the oil. Add the pork chops and sear until browned on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Place the chops in a baking dish and bake 16 minutes, turning the chops over halfway through.

To Serve In the center of each of 4 large dinner plates, spoon 2 tablespoons of the Balsamic Vinegar-Adobo Sauce. Spoon a quarter of the Garlic Mashed Potatoes in the sauce and top with a stuffed pork chop. If desired, garnish with the grapes and drops of Chive Oil.

Modern Mexican Flavors
Richard Sandoval
Published in 2002 by
Stewart, Tabori & Chang

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My notes:

I halved this recipe. It was good and stuffing was not greasy because Mexican chorizo is crumbly-dry and had to be browned first. I overcooked the center cut bone-in chops just a tad. I want to try boneless in my electric grill for the usual 14 minutes next time.

I just made regular mashed potatoes for this because I didn’t have enough fresh garlic left.

 
Chipotle Rouille

CHIPOTLE ROUILLE

Makes about 1 cup

A French sauce made with chiles and olive oil, rouille is used to garnish bouillabaisse, the classic fish stew from Provence. This recipe is an excellent example of how I like to work the flavors of other cuisines into my style of Mexican cooking. The rouille also makes a great dressing for coleslaw. I’ve discovered an interesting flavor variation by substituting Vietnamese or Thai chile sauce for the chipotles in adobo.

2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo
1 cup canola oil
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
Honey, to taste

In a blender, process the chiles and oil until pureed.

In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment or whisking by hand, beat the egg yolks until thick and lemon-colored. Drop by drop, whisk in the oil mixture—don’t rush, or the oil may separate from the yolks. Once the mixture begins to thicken, slowly add the oil in a thin steady stream, stopping the stream frequently to make sure the oil is being absorbed. Season with the lemon juice, salt, white pepper, and honey to taste. Refrigerate, covered, for up to 3 days.

Bottled Mayonnaise Variation Place 1 cup bottled mayonnaise in a bowl. In a blender, puree the chipotle chiles. Stir into the mayonnaise. Season with the lemon juice, salt, pepper, and honey to taste.

Chive-Habanero Rouille Omit the chipotle chiles in adobo in the above recipe. In a blender, puree together 1 cup snipped fresh chives, 1 fresh habanero chile, stemmed and seeded, and the canola oil. Proceed with the rest of the recipe. For a bottled mayonnaise variation, finely chop the chives and chile, and stir into the mayonnaise.

Modern Mexican Flavors
Richard Sandoval
Published in 2002 by
Stewart, Tabori & Chang

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My notes:

Being afraid of the raw eggs, I opted for the bottled mayonnaise variation. The recipe yielded way too much for the fish and coleslaw. I would halve the recipe and deseed the chiles in adobo before pureeing next time.

This was so yummy drizzled over the pan-seared snapper.

I used up some of the rouille the next day by covering boiled shrimp and adding chopped tomatoes and put in a warmed corn tortilla.

 
Huachinango a la Talla

HUACHINANGO A LA TALLA

Pan-Roasted Adobo Red Snapper with Chipotle Coleslaw

Makes 4 servings

This could be the most famous fish dish in Acapulco. Tourists from all over the world visit Barra Vieja, a well-known beach where there are lots of outdoor cafés, and it is here that this dish became famous. Diners pick out their own whole fish, which is literally just hours out of the water. Then it is cleaned, seasoned, brushed with adobo, and grilled in an open pit—a simple dinner, served with tortillas. I’ve been there hundreds of times to savor this wonderful preparation. What follows is my version—the same adobo-flavored fish, but served on a bed of coleslaw tossed in a chipotle mayonnaise.

1-1/2 pounds red snapper fillet, cut from the center section, skin and any small bones removed, cut crosswise into 4 equal pieces
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup Adobo (see recipe, page 192)
½ cup mayonnaise

CHIPOTLE COLESLAW

2 cups shredded red cabbage
2 cups shredded Napa cabbage
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Chipotle Rouille (see recipe, page 201)
Honey, to taste

2 tablespoons canola oil
2 Corn Tortillas (about 6 inch; see recipe, page 204), or store-bought tortillas, each cut in half
2 tomatoes, cored and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices

Garnish (optional)
Chipotle Rouille (see recipe, page 201)
Chive Oil (see recipe, page 190)

Season the fish with the salt and pepper. In a small bowl, stir together the Adobo and mayonnaise. Place the fish in a baking dish and coat with the Adobo mixture. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.


Chipotle Coleslaw In a large bowl, toss together the cabbages, cilantro, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Stir in enough of the Chi8potle Rouille to evenly moisten the coleslaw, ¼ to ½ cup. Add honey to taste, and stir to blend well.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large, oven-proof skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the fish and sear on both sides until lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes total. Slide the skillet into the oven and bake until cooked through and the fish flakes when tested with a fork, another 4 to 5 minutes.

In a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add the tortilla halves and gently heat through, 1 to 2 minutes.

To serve In the center of each of 4 dinner plates, place a tortilla half. Layer the tomato slices on the tortilla. Spoon a quarter of the coleslaw on the tomatoes on each plate, and then top with a piece of red snapper. If desired, garnish the plate with more Chipotle Rouille and the Chive Oil.

Modern Mexican Flavors
Richard Sandoval
Published in 2002 by
Stewart, Tabori & Chang

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

My notes:

This was really good. I halved the recipe and carefully cooked it in my heavy-duty fry pan. There was no need to finish it in the oven, as it was approximately ¾ thick. The marinade was plentiful even though I halved that also. The fish came out very moist with a slightly seared, dark and spicy (not too hot) finish.

Being bleary-eyed Friday night, I bought a nonmayo-type coleslaw from Whole Foods (“cabbage crunch”?) and a tomato and corn tortillas for the “bed.” I never did make the bed but I made the rouille that I drizzled over the fish.

 
Thank you for this,

I always buy canned chipotles in adobo sauce and often just wished for the sauce, as so many recipes call for that I've run across.

 
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