Adobo Marinade

Even though I'm an adventurous and ambitious cook most of the time, I tend to fall into a burgers and brats rut when it comes to grilling. I do make all kinds of different creative burgers, but I thought it was time to tackle another protein for my traditional Sunday grilling. I settled on chicken tacos to satisfy my craving for Mexican food and desire to eat a little lighter after a day of heavy indulgence at a Brewer game, and went my favorite source for Mexican cuisine, Rick Bayless, for this simple and delicious adobo marinade recipe. This marinade gets a tremendous depth of flavor from the ancho chile but isn't too hot to enjoy the flavor of the chiles. It may be a little bit much for those who don't like spicy food, but I think most people will happily enjoy proteins marinaded in this delicious mixture.

To make the tacos pictured above, I marinated 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts with about 1/4 cup of the marinade for a few hours, then grilled them over charcoal along with three bell peppers and one white onion. I sliced up the chicken, peppers, and onion, and served them in fresh, warm, corn tortillas, topped with salsa for a satisfying and healthy lunch with a side of refried beans.

Adobo Marinade 
from Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless
makes about 3/4 cup

1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped or pressed through a garlic press
1/3 cup ground ancho chile powderr
2 tablespoons (apple cider vinegar is common in Mexico)
1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Salt

1. In a small saucepan, heat the oil over medium. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, but not browned, about 1 minute, then add the ancho powder, vinegar, oregano, sugar, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 3/4 cup water, whisking to combine thoroughly. Simmer over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes to blend the flavors and eliminate the raw ancho taste. Allow to cool to room temperature, then scrape into a jar and cover. Refrigerate for up to a month or more.