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    Home » Recipes » Condiments

    Adobo, The Key to Amazing Puerto Rican Flavor

    Published: Feb 24, 2021 · Modified: Mar 7, 2023 by Zoe Morman · This post may contain affiliate links. ·

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.”

    Last week I talked about sofrito, the delicious combination of aromatic vegetables that give Puerto Rican foods their distinct flavor. This week I want to go over another combination of ingredients used more specifically for meats, ADOBO. This amazing blend has evolved with time into a powder combination that could be used for literally anything. Today, we will cover all aspects of adobo, from its beginning to our modern use. I will also give you a recipe to combine your own powder blend if you so desire. Let's begin!

    What is Adobo?

    At its most basic form adobo is a blend of garlic, salt, black pepper, oregano and olive oil. Optional to add an acid like vinegar, lemon, or bitter orange juice. Adobo is used to season meats, poultry, pork, and fish.

    ingredients for adobo this Recipe!

    Is adobo a powder?

    If you were to walk down the baking isle in the grocery store you will find the collection of spices towards the end of the isle. Most likely there will be a small section of spices dedicated to the latin community. You could also find adobo at the International foods isle in the supermarket. Goya and Badia are two of the most popular latin brands you could find in the grocery store. These powered adobos come in different combinations like; regular, without pepper, or without cumin.

    The ease of use of powdered adobo has made them quite popular, as well as available to use with all types of cooking. When I was a child we used adobo in lieu of any other seasoning. Besides seasoning meats, we also used it in eggs, rice, pastas, sauces, you name it. The go to seasoning mix, was and still is in many Puerto Rican homes, adobo.

    Why I like to use a garlic paste form of adobo and not a powder?

    My personal goal is to reconnect with my Puerto Rican roots. Before the convenience of powdered adobo, ingredients such as garlic, peppercorns, salt, vinegar, and oil were ground in a pestle and mortar.

    two mortar and pestles.  A green stone mortar and pestle placed slightly in front of a slightly larger mortar and pestle made out of wood.
    Pilones (Mortar and pestles)

    I remember my mother telling me stories about her grandmother cooking in the kitchen. How her grandmother would pound the garlic, peppercorns, and salt in a large pestle and mortar to make a paste that she would rub onto the meat to marinate.

    When I went to culinary school the basic way to season meats was with salt, ground pepper, and minced garlic, pretty much the basic ingredients for adobo. Not knowing or realizing what I was learning at the culinary arts school, I cooked for my mother one day. And with a smile brought by reminiscing of childhood days, my mother said, "You took me back to my childhood. You took me back to her." And for a little while, I was connected with my great grandmother whom I never met.

    There is versatility in a paste

    When you are making your own adobo, whether it is powder or paste, you have more control on the ingredients you are utilizing, and our first point on versatility, control in what we put in our foods and our plates.

    The beauty of the paste is the addition of the acid. I guess you could blend lemon juice or vinegar to the powder form to make a paste, but there is a little bit of magic that happens when fresh ingredients intermingle with each other. Rendering their flavors and mixing them together creating a depth and layers of flavor in the final product.

    Rabbit Hole Alert!! I know I talk about this depth of flavor often, but I really want you to understand, the experience of eating something is heighten by the process the food was cooked and how it was seasoned. There is nothing more disappointing than eating a dish that's bland. Adequately seasoning your dishes is how you take your cooking to the next level. Seasoning in and of itself, is just as stellar as the dish you are eating.

    Versatility point #2

    It is the base for a marinade. Many countries forged from Spanish colonization share similar, almost identical, cultures. This is expressed in the arts, music, language, and of course cooking. The only factor different is the natives of the countries colonized, the addition of slaves (like in the Caribbean), and the country's native resources, these elements creative each countries unique flavor profile. Adobo is not, by any means, only Puerto Rican. In Mexico their adobo includes dried smoked chili peppers and orange juice, the Philippines includes ingredients like coconut milk, soy sauce, and green chiles. But the application is the same.

    Versatility point #3;

    Adobo tenderizes the meat. The whole point of seasoning anything is to one render the natural juices, begin a small amount of breakdown, which helps with digestion, and to make some tougher cuts of meat more tender. The salt and acidity in adobo do just that. I try to season my meats well before I am about to cook them, especially larger cuts of meat like roasts. Finer cuts like steaks and chops, which tend to be a bit more leaner, I would season a bit more sparingly.

    adobo made with garlic, peppercorns, salt, Ancho Chile peppers, orange juice, cumin, paprika, and oil
    Ancho Chile Pepper Adobo Rub used to season a Bottom Round Roast to be served as tacos.
    An overhead picture of the blender cup after blending a mixture of sofrito, ancho chile peppers, and lemon to make American inspired adobo.
    mexican adobo marinade

    Here is a recipe for the fresh ingredients version.

    I prefer the fresh ingredient version, I always have these ingredients available in my kitchen and it doesn't take too long to whip a batch. It should last about a month in the refrigerator, but mine only lasts a few weeks, I use it so much.

    There is still beauty in the powder adobo

    Do not get me wrong, I still use powder adobo. It is after all a great season-anything blend. Sometimes I create my own, sometimes I buy it already made. In the event you would like to make your own spice blend here is a recipe. Although, buying the already blended adobo might be cheaper, you do get a better product if you make it yourself, only by knowing the quantities of the ingredients you are using. Making a blend uniquely yours.

    Recipe

    a small mason jar of adobo puree

    Adobo

    Zoe Morman
    Adobo is a seasoning agent used for meats.  We all use adobos every day.  Salt and pepper are the most basic forms of "adobo".  Adobo literally translates to seasoning.  This adobo works well for beef, pork, and poultry.  These measurements are for one pound of product.  Multiply ingredients by number of pounds needed to season.
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    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 0 minutes mins
    0 minutes mins
    Total Time 10 minutes mins
    Course Condiment
    Cuisine Puerto Rican
    Servings 2 ounces
    Calories 12 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 peppercorn whole black pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon dried whole orégano
    • 1 clove garlic peeled
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon olive oil
    • ½ teaspoon vinegar or fresh lime juice

    Instructions
     

    • If you have a pestle and mortar, crush peppercorn, oregano, and garlic.  Once paste is created add salt, olive oil, and vinegar or lime juice.
    • Other option is to place all ingredients in a blender or food processor to create a paste.
    • Rub seasoning into meat thoroughly and set in the refrigerator for several hours.

    Video

    Notes

    Feel free to change things up and really make this your own.  If you want to make tacos, add ground dried peppers and orange juice.  If you want to make it more asian inspired, add soy sauce and lemongrass.  The possibilities are endless.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 2tablespoonsCalories: 12kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 0.1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 1163mgPotassium: 10mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 0.03gVitamin A: 4IUVitamin C: 0.5mgCalcium: 8mgIron: 0.1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. GJM

      March 11, 2023 at 9:16 am

      Can you clarify the amounts of garlic and pepper please.
      In the video I see about 2 heads of garlic (yum) and two teaspoons? Of pepper corns? The recipe says one pepper corn and one clove of garlic. Is this for a tiny batch?

      • Zoe Morman

        March 16, 2023 at 8:09 pm

        When I wrote the recipe, I wrote it with the thought of per pound of meat. So these would be the measurements per pound of meat. However, I use half a bag of peeled garlic or about 4 ounces when I make it for myself. Adobo and sofrito are recipes; the more you make them, the more they become yours and less how they are made. These are recipes that generally get handed down in the family, and we end up making our own. Take my recipe as a suggestion, not an end-all recipe. Play with your ratios and see what works best for your taste.

    2. Louie

      March 09, 2021 at 9:17 am

      Thank you so much for this educational and entertaining blog. I am enjoying it immensely!

      • Zoe Morman

        March 15, 2021 at 2:22 pm

        My pleasure. Let me know if you try the recipe and how you like it!

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