Adobada Facts for Kids

Adobada (pronounced ah-doh-BAH-dah) means "marinated" in Spanish. It's a popular way to prepare meat, especially pork, in Mexican and New Mexican cooking. The meat is soaked in a special "red" chili sauce. This sauce usually has vinegar and a herb called oregano. Adobada can be served in many ways, often in small corn tortillas with veggies and cheese.

Adobada in New Mexico
Adobada in Mexico
Images for kids
See also

Adobada in New Mexico

New Mexico red chili peppers

"Carne adovada" is a special baked meat dish from New Mexico. It often uses pork cut into strips or cubes. The pork is marinated in a mix of red chili powder or chopped red chilies. Famous chilies like Hatch or Chimayo are often used. Other ingredients include garlic, oregano, cumin, lime or lemon juice, vinegar, and salt. The meat is usually refrigerated overnight to soak up the flavors. It's then baked slowly in foil or a covered dish to keep it juicy.

Long ago, before refrigerators, people in New Mexico would ferment pork in red chili. This helped preserve the meat and gave it a slightly sour taste. That's why many modern recipes for New Mexican adovada still add a little vinegar or lime juice. The red chili sauce is often made with bits of the chili skin, fresh garlic, ground oregano, cumin, cilantro, and coriander seeds. The dish is baked until the meat is very tender and juicy inside. The outside gets a crispy, almost dark red chili coating.

Carne adovada is often served with a tortilla, beans, and rice. You might also find it with noodles (called fideos) or potatoes (like home fries or papas). Sometimes, it comes with a fresh salad or coleslaw.

Another way to make adovada in central New Mexico involves dipping pork chunks in milk. Then, they are rolled in a dry mix of red chili, garlic powder, salt, and cumin. These pieces are then deep-fried with crispy pork rinds (chicharrones). This makes them crispy on the outside and tender inside.

Adobada in Mexico

Mexican guajillo chilies

In some parts of Mexico, "carne adobada" also means marinated pork. It's a very common ingredient for tacos in states like Colima, Jalisco, and Michoacán. In some areas of Guerrero, it's called "carne enchilada," which means chili-dressed meat. In the Huasteca region (like San Luis Potosí or Veracruz), it might be called "cecina enchilada." "Cecina" means thin cuts of meat. Most Mexican versions of adobada use guajillo or chipotle chilies for the marinade. Both of these can be quite hot and spicy.

The special mix of spices, chilies, and vinegar used for the marinade is called "adobo." There are many different recipes for adobo, and each region has its own special flavors for carne adobada. Many Mexican adobo recipes use spices like allspice, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, and nutmeg. These spices are not usually found in the New Mexico style of adobada.