Arroz En Adobo

This is a dish you will find in many Mexican homes. Very simple in preparation as well as ingredients and you can use what you have on hand. Instead of the pork you can use chicken or strips of turkey breast. For a vegetarian meal, you can use large chunks of squash, whole mushrooms, yams, or carrots. This has wonderful flavor for such a simple dish.

4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound pork loin (or other meat), cut into small chunks
1 ancho chile, washed and soaked in hot water for 30 minutes OR use 1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 small white onion, cut in half
1/2 cup water
2 cups boiling water
1 cup long-grain white rice, washed until water runs clear
2 tablespoons large capers
1 tablespoon dreid Mexcian oregano
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Heat the oil and fry the meat in a deep pot until brown. Remove the meat with a slotrted spoon to a dish. Reserve the oil in the pot.

Stem and seed the chile. (Or measure ground ancho powder) Put it in a blender with the garlic, onion, and 1/2 cup water. Puree until smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender with a rubber spatula. Reheat the oil in the pot, carefully add the blender ingredients (it slatters!) and fry the sauce. Cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Add 2 cups boiling water and the reserved meat to the pot. Bring it back to a boil. Add the rice, capers, oregano and salt. Mix well, then lower the heat to the lowest simmer and cover. Cook until the rice is cooked and the meat tender, about 25 minutes. More water may be added little by little, though usually not necessary.

When cooked, the rice should be a bit moist -- not too dry. Serve as is, or with steaming hot tortillas along with.