Mexican Adobo Sauce

Steps

• 1

  Pour the 4 quarts of water in a large pot and heat to medium/low heat on back burner.
• 2

  Line a large skillet with foil paper and preheat to medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, serrano peppers, onion and garlic cloves. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, turning as needed, until you get some nice browning. Remove from heat and let cool.
• 3

  While the tomato mixture is cooking, on the other side preheat a large griddle pan to medium heat for 3 minutes. Add chile ancho, guajillo or California, and japones peppers to the hot griddle. Toast the peppers for no more the 3 to 4 minutes, turning often, or they will burn and become bitter. Remove from heat and transfer to pot with hot water. Turn the heat slightly to bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for another 6 to 8 minutes. Drain the water and transfer the peppers to the blender. Let cool for 10 minutes.
• 4

  Remove the skins from the garlic and add them to the blender. Add all of the remaining ingredients to the blender, including the 1 cup of reserved water. Blend on the highest speed until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, add a little more water. Taste for salt. Let the adobo sauce cool completely before storing. It will keep in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks to 4 months in the freezer.