Orange sauce. The number one condiment for a burrito the size of your head when you’re down in San Jose. Ask anyone and they’ll have their preference for taquerias, with strong opinions as to who has the best orange sauce. Despite its creamy appearance, this sauce is vegan and relies on emulsified oil and blended garlic for its texture. For those who are curious, this one takes most after Iguana’s orange sauce, with the addition of the citrus.

Ingredients

  • 1 head garlic
  • 1 7oz can of chipotles in adobo
  • Juice of two limes
  • 1⁄3 cup vegetable oil
  • ~1 tsp salt to taste
  • optional 1 avocado (will make for a creamier and sweeter sauce)

Preparation

  1. Separate the head of garlic into cloves, but do not peel them
  2. Dry-roast the garlic cloves in a pan over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes, tossing occasionally.
  3. While the garlic is roasting, add the lime juice, oil, and salt to a blender. If you are using an avocado, slice it and then add it to the blender as well.
  4. Remove the chipotles from the can and optionally seed them before adding to the blender. Leaving the seeds in will result in a hotter sauce, which is fine, but will also result in a grittier sauce. Add the adobo sauce as well.
  5. When the garlic is slightly blackened, pungent, and soft, remove from heat and peel, adding the cloves to the blender.
  6. Blend thoroughly until you wind up with a creamy orange- to rust-colored sauce.

Keep the sauce refrigerated in a container or squeeze bottle. Serve with any good Mexi-Cali food, such as a burrito the size of your head or a chicken and avocado quesadilla. Pair with a good margarita!