Adobo
Adobo is Spanish for sauce,
seasoning, or marinade used in Latin American and Southwest U.S.-style cooking.
The noun form describes a marinade or seasoning mix. Recipes vary widely by
region: Puerto Rican adobo, a rub used principally on meats, differs greatly from
the Mexican variety. Meat marinated or seasoned with an adobo is referred to
having been adobada or adobado.
Adobo relates to marinated dishes such as chipotles en adobo or Chipotles in
adobo sauce is a condiment in which chipotles jalapeño peppers are stewed in a
sauce with tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, salt, and spices. The spices vary, but
generally include several types of peppers (in addition to the Chipotle and
most likely those on hand), ground cumin and dried oregano. Some recipes
include orange juice and lemon or lime juices. They often include a pinch of
brown sugar just to offset any bitter taste.
Adobo is prepared in regions of Latin America and Spain. Pork, spices, and
especially red pepper are used. Dishes with the borrowed name, but with different
cultural roots, are prepared in regions of Asia Pacific.
Recipe
Many adobos require only a handful of ingredients. In a well made adobo, none
of the spices dominate but rather the taste is a delicate balance of all the
ingredients. Pork and chicken or are two popular types of adobos. Other,
less-common types of adobos are squid, beef, lamb, game fowl such as quail and
snipe, catfish, okra, eggplant, string beans, and swamp cabbage. Un shelled
hard boiled eggs are sometimes added to the receipie.
Puerto Rican-style adobo
Adobo is a seasoned salt that is generously sprinkled or rubbed on meats and
seafood prior to grilling, sauteing, or frying. Supermarkets sell prepared
blends like Goya. There are two types of adobo on the island. One is a wet rub
called adobo mojado. It consists of crushed garlic, olive oil, salt, black
pepper, dry or fresh orégano brujo, citrus juice or vinegar or a mix of
both citrus with vinegar. More widely used on the island is a dry mix, adobo
seco. It is easier to prepare and has a long shelf life. Adobo seco consists of
garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, dry orégano brujo, and
sometimes dried citrus zest.
Foreign uses of the word 'Adobo'
In Filipino cuisine, adobo refers to a common cooking process indigenous to the
Philippines. When the Spanish took administration over the Philippines in
the late 1500s through Mexico City, they found an indigenous cooking process
that involved stewing with vinegar. They referred to this method as
"adobo." Over time, dishes prepared in this manner came to be known
by this name as well.