Ancho Adobo Sauce

Dried red anchos toasted and soaked, then blended with garlic, cumin, and vinegar into a rich adobo.

  • Serves8
  • Prep20 min
  • Cook15 min
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Ingredients

  • 4 dried ancho chilies
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup water from soaking

Method

  1. Wipe the anchos, pull off the stems, and shake out the seeds.
  2. Toast the peppers in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about a minute per side.
  3. Cover them with hot water, around 200°F (95°C), and soak until soft, 15 minutes.
  4. Lift the softened anchos into a blender, saving a cup of the soaking water.
  5. Add the garlic, cumin, oregano, vinegar, salt, and enough soaking water to blend.
  6. Blend until smooth, then use it to marinate meat or braise.
Ripened red and dried, the poblano becomes the ancho — dark, wrinkled, and raisin-sweet, with none of the raw green edge of the fresh pepper. That deep sweetness is the base of a good adobo, mellow and rich rather than sharp. Toasting the pods first wakes up the flavor, so give them just a minute in a dry pan before they soak.