Recipe for Beef or Pork Adobo with Chile Adobo Sauce

Serve this traditional Mexican dish of spicy marinated meat with warmed flour tortillas. You will need to make the Chile Adobo Sauce ahead of time. This recipe freezes well.

Credit: iStockphoto.com/Lauri Patterson

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Preparation time: 10 minutes; 3 to 24 hours marinating time

Cooking time: 1 to 1-1/4 hours

Spice meter: Hot and spicy

1 recipe Chile Adobo Sauce

2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil

2 pounds beef round or pork loin, cut into thin 1/2-inch long strips

1/2 cup water, beef broth, or orange juice

1. Put the meat in a large flat baking dish. Pour the Chile Adobo Sauce over the meat and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 3 to 24 hours.

2. Remove the meat from the marinade, but reserve it. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil. Add the meat and cook, stirring occasionally, until all the meat is browned.

3. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the reserved marinade and the water, broth, or juice to the pan.

   Cover partially and simmer for 1 hour or until the meat is very tender. Thin with additional liquid if the sauce becomes too thick while simmering.

Make it a wrap! Put some of the beef or pork adobo in warmed flour tortillas, top with sour cream, grated cheddar, or Jack cheese and some sliced pitted olives, and wrap.

Per serving: Calories 351 (From Fat 217); Fat 24g (Saturated 7g); Cholesterol 96mg; Sodium 300mg; Carbohydrate 3g (Dietary Fiber 1g); Protein 29g.

Chile Adobo Sauce

Popular in the American Southwest and Mexico, this piquant, deep-red sauce is wonderful for marinating beef, pork, chicken, and shrimp.

Yield: About 1-3/4 cups

Preparation time: 10 to 15 minutes

Spice meter: Hot and spicy

8 to 10 dried guajillo or ancho chiles or a combination

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 plump cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds or 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons fresh chopped oregano or 2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 cup tomato puree or crushed canned tomatoes

1/3 cup water

1/4 cup cider or white wine vinegar

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1. Cover the chiles with hot water until they’re softened slightly, about 10 minutes. Remove the chiles from the water and then cut off their stems.

2. In a small skillet over medium-low heat, heat the vegetable oil. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes.

   Add the cumin, cinnamon, black pepper, and oregano and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the tomato puree and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.

3. 3In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine the chiles (with their seeds), water, and vinegar.

   Pulse until a thick puree forms. Add the garlic-tomato mixture and salt. Pulse until the mixture is blended. Let the sauce cool before using.

4. 4To use as a marinade, pour the chile adobo sauce over meat or poultry and marinate for 2 hours or overnight.

   It can also be used as a marinade for shellfish or fish; marinate for 15 to 60 minutes.

Per serving: Calories 20 (From Fat 16); Fat 2g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 94mg; Carbohydrate 1g (Dietary Fiber 0g); Protein 0g.