Adobo Sauce

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A great way to use dried chilies is to make sauce out of them; the finished product emphasizes the specific flavor of whichever chilies you're using. Adobo is a confusing term in Mexican cooking; it refers, variously, to pastes for rubbing on meats, to marinades for all kinds of foods, and to sauces; all of these adobos, however, usually contain chilies and vinegar. The following adobo is a sauce-good for grilled meats, chili con carne, and many other things. It features the wonderful, pruny taste of ancho chilies, along with a little smoky heat from the chipotle.

SKU 1361-recipe

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Ingredients:

1 dried chipotle chili
4 dried ancho chilies
¼ cup red-wine vinegar
¼ cup minced yellow onion
2 tablespoons lime juice
6 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons minced garlic
⅓ cup honey, or more to taste
2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste

Directions:

Roast chipotle and ancho chilies in a preheated 450° oven for 2 to 3 minutes, until they've puffed up slightly. Cut chilies open with scissors and remove stems and seeds. Place chilies in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let soak for 30 minutes.
Remove chilies, reserving the soaking liquid. Chop chilies roughly and place in a blender with 2 tablespoons of the soaking liquid. Purée until smooth, adding more liquid if necessary.
Add vinegar, orange juice, lime juice, onion, garlic, honey, and kosher salt to blender. Purée until smooth. Adjust seasoning, and add more honey to balance the heat if the sauce is too hot.