Chipotles are ripe red jalapeños that have been smoke-dried, and chipotles in adobo are those chiles simmered and canned in a thick sauce of tomato, vinegar, garlic, onion and spices. Each chile is soft, smoky, sweet-tart and medium-hot, roughly jalapeño heat with a long finish. A single small can adds smoke and depth to tacos al pastor marinade, tinga de pollo, barbacoa, black bean soup, chili, salsas, crema and mayo for burgers and fish tacos. The adobo sauce itself is as useful as the chiles.

How to buy

The standard 7 oz can sits in the Latin aisle of every US supermarket and costs one to three dollars. La Costeña, San Marcos, Embasa and Goya are all good; La Costeña has the thickest, most tomato-forward sauce, San Marcos is a little hotter. Check that the label says chipotles in adobo, not chipotle salsa or ground chipotle powder, and avoid jars of chipotle paste sweetened with sugar unless that is what you want. Whole dried chipotles (morita or meco) are sold in bags and can be rehydrated, but the canned version is more convenient and what most recipes mean.

How to store

Unopened cans keep for two years or more. Once opened, move everything to a glass jar; it lasts about two weeks in the fridge. For the long run, purée the whole can and freeze it in an ice-cube tray, or freeze individual chiles with a spoonful of sauce in a zip bag, for up to six months. Toss it if you see mold or it smells sour and fizzy rather than smoky and vinegary.

Substitutes

  • Ground chipotle powder, 1/2 teaspoon plus 1 teaspoon tomato paste and a splash of vinegar per chile; same smoke and heat, less body.
  • Smoked paprika 1 teaspoon plus a pinch of cayenne per chile; smoky and colorful but flat, with no tang.
  • Dried chipotle or morita chile, 1 per canned chile, toasted and soaked 20 minutes; the true flavor, without the adobo sauce.
  • Ancho chile paste or gochugaru with a drop of liquid smoke, 1:1; workable in a pinch, milder and less bright.

How to use

Mince 1 to 2 chiles with a spoonful of sauce for a pot of beans, soup or braise for four; one chile is enough to notice, three or more gets seriously hot. Blend the whole can with garlic and lime for a marinade, or whisk a teaspoon of the sauce alone into mayonnaise, sour cream or honey for a quick smoky condiment. Scrape out the seeds if you want less heat with the same smoke. The flavor blooms when fried briefly with onions and tomato, so add it early in a stew, but keep raw purée for salsas and dressings. Remember the sauce is acidic and salty, so hold back on vinegar and salt until you taste.

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