adobo sauce (recipe)

This spicy red chile marinade is very popular in Northern New Mexico and Texas, where it's made locally with 100 percent caribe chiles. I have toned this recipe down a bit because caribe chiles are so spicy. The conquistadors brought the seeds and chiles given them by the Caribe Indians to Northern New Mexico. For this reason, the sauce is also known as conquistador sauce or marinade. Originally, this sauce was used only as a marinade for pork.

Adobo Sauce

Makes about 4 cups.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup crushed caribe chiles.
• 1/2 cup ground pure mild chiles.
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled.
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin.
• 2 teaspoons ground Mexican oregano.
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt.
• 4 cups water.

Directions

Place all ingredients in a blender in the order given; process until combined. Use as a marinade for chicken, pork, or seafood.