Chipotle Ancho Rub

[Chris Amirault]

Chipotle Ancho Rub

This chipotle ancho rub is an item we always have available and use at least once week. I cannot deny that it is a bit of a production, but you can make a bunch of it and it keeps indefinitely in the refrigerator.

This rub is an adaption of Reed Hearon's La Parilla: The Mexican Grill that has been edited for proportions and instructions. The book is excellent; I urge you to click the eGullet Amazon.com link above to order it if you use this recipe.

The rub is amazing as is, sprinkled and mixed into salsa or guacamole. But it is particularly transformative when a few tablespoons are mixed with a healthy splash of olive oil and the juice of two or three limes for a quick marinade for pork, chicken, shrimp, fish, beef... you name it. Grill the flesh, toss some chopped cilantro on it, and squirt another lime over it, and you've got dinner.

Two short but important notes before starting. (1) This recipe really requires a food processor. This stuff'll gum up your blender PDQ and the amounts will overwhelm your cutting board and wrist. (2) I warn you repeatedly not to burn the stuff. Heed my advice, friend; this goes from transcendent to horrifyingly bitter in a heartbeat.

• 7 whole, dried ancho chiles
  
• 5 whole, dried chipotle chiles
  
• 1/4 c Mexican oregano
  
• 1/4 c corn or vegetable oil
  
• 25 cloves garlic (yes, really), peeled and roughly chopped
  
• 1/2 c kosher salt (NOT iodized salt)
  

1. Seed and devein the chiles as best you can. You're not going for perfect here, as everthing will be ground up.

2. Toast the oregano in a medium skillet over medium heat until it gives a toasty smell. Be careful not to burn the oregano; if you do, toss it (yes, ouch) and start again, because the rub won't be worth squat.

3. In the same medium skillet (give it a wipe with a towel), heat the corn oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking, and fry the chiles, one or two at a time, until puffy and brown, about 10-15 seconds each. Err on the side of caution here: as above, you want to be very careful not to burn the chiles, and you must toss them if you do. Drain the chiles as you cook them by placing them onto a plate lined with paper towels. If you're feeling righteous, press down on each chile with some balled-up paper towels to squeeze out extra oil.

4. When cool, grind the chiles in a food processor until they are a "powder" (I like to leave some varied texture in the chiles, hence the quotation marks).

5. Add all the other ingredients and process until you have a slightly coarse rub. Pulsing and scraping may be necessary here.

6. Let cool and store in the refrigerator indefinitely.

NB: If it gets too wet and clumpy for your liking, you can dry it in a 150 degere oven and reprocess, but (can you guess what I'm gonna say?) be sure it doesn't burn.

Keywords: Condiment, Hot and Spicy, Mexican, Food Processor

( RG1210 )