Chipotle Adobo Sauce

Chipotles in adobo sauce are smoked and dried jalapeños that have been re-hydrated and cooked in a sweet, tangy purée of tomato, vinegar, garlic, onion, citrus juice and other spices. This is a spicy sauce that packs delicious heat with balance and body. It's the perfect addition to any dish needing some rich flavor and spicy heat.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp dried Oregano 
• ½ cup good quality Tomato Ketchup
• 3 Bay Leaves 
• ½ tsp ground Cumin (Comino)
• ¼ tsp ground Cinnamon (Canela)
• ¼ tsp ground Allspice (Jamaica)
• 3/4 tsp Salt
• 10-12 Chipotle Peppers  (Stems removed. Remove the seeds if you don't want it too spicy. I prefer spicy, so I leave the seeds.)
• 1/3 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar 
• 1 tbsp Honey
• 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2-3 cloves of minced Garlic (Ajo)
• 1/4 Cup diced Onion (Cebolla) (red, yellow, or white onion)
• 2 tbsp Orange juice
• 2 tbsp Lemon juice (I use a ¼ cup of Limón Mandarina juice in place of the OJ and Lemon) 
• 3 cups of water

Directions:

• In a deep sauce pan add the dried chipotle pepper and all the ingredients listed above.
• Bring to a boil at a high heat.
• Reduce heat to a medium low simmer for at least an hour, until the liquid is reduced to 1 to 1¼ cups.
• Discard the bay leaves and transfer the remaining contents to a sterile resealable jar. 
• Let it come to room temperature, then refrigerate. 

The flavor will intensify by the next day and it will only get better with time. The Chipotle Adobo Sauce will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 months.