Makin' barbacoa a la SnellySmokesEm

[EZ Smoker]

We decided it was time to make Snelly's Barbacoa again.   

Last time, we couldn't find the Goya (powder) adobo seasoning, so we used an adobo paste we found in the Mexican section at our local Albertson's.   But last week my wife went to the local Mexican market and picked up some Goya adobo seasoning for this round of barbacoa.

So we decided to get two chuck roasts and compare the adobo paste side by side with the ground adobo seasoning.   We made the salsa according to Snelly's recipe, then rubbed one roast with the paste and the other with the powder and garlic powder.   Obviously, we needed to add salt to the paste, but we did that when we pulled it.   

Here are the two roasts coming out of a brief FTC.  The one with the paste is first.




and here they are in the middle of the pulling process after being mixed back in with the salsa.   Again the one with the paste is first.




The final verdict is that the paste, while having a stronger adobo flavor, seemed to cover the smoke flavor too much.   But the Goya adobo seasoning let the smoke come right on through.   Both were very good, but overall the roast with Goya adobo seasoning powder was clearly better.   

The wife made some homemade guacamole, and picked up some fresh made flour tortillas from a Mexican place in town, so we built the tacos with sour cream, guac and wonderful barbacoa on fresh tortillas.   Fantastic meal!  Thanks Snelly.

[Tenpoint5]

Good looking meal. Thanks for the comparison.

[ArnieM]

I'm glad they came out good.  Interesting comparison, thanks.  I've always wondered if the mustard slather on a brisket might have the same effect - sealing out the smoke, but I haven't noticed it.

Up here I can get big jugs of the Goya powder buy have never seen the paste.

[SnellySmokesEm]

Looking good EZ.  I'm really glad you found my post helpful!  I need to do some investigating and see what the paste is all about....

[EZ Smoker]

I need to do some investigating and see what the paste is all about....

To help you find it, the jar says La Costeña (That's the brand, of course) Adobo.   Ingredients list: ancho pepper, sesame seed, veg oil, toasted bread, sugar, iodized salt, spices. 

[Smokin Soon]

This will work in a pinch.

1 tablespoon lemon pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder or flakes
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1 tablespoon achiote powder
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon salt

[monty]

good god...that looks delicious

fwiw, i think adobo sauce/paste and GOYA adobo seasoning are 2 very different animals

[stillsmoking]

EZ that looks great!  We like to do chuck roast around here and sometimes we use it in place of pork for carnitas or like to make chili colorado with chuck roast.  I don't have access to the paste or seasoning around here but am sure I can figure out some adobo seasoning so we can try what you did.  Hope ours looks as good as yours!

[EZ Smoker]

To be clear, the red stuff on top of the roasts is not the adobo sauce, but the salsa (recipe included in Snelly's post, the link to which in in my first post in this thread.)

Monty's right that the paste/sauce is very different from the ground seasoning powder.   If you can't find the powder, Smokin Soon's suggested recipe seems good.   The Goya stuff has the following ingredients (aside from a chemical used to prevent caking):  Salt, cumin, granulated garlic, black pepper, oregano, turmeric.

That's quite different from the sauce/paste, which as I said before contains: ancho pepper, sesame seed, veg oil, toasted bread, sugar, iodized salt, spices.   

I'd go with the Goya powder, or a facsimile thereof.  If you use the paste, you'll need to add salt.   I even added a litttle salt to the roast that used the powder.  Really good stuff.   

[classicrockgriller]

Like 10.5 said thanks for the side by side.

Great looking meal and a very informative thread.

[ArnieM]

The Goya Adobo I have lists the ingredients as Salt, Granulated Garlic, Tricalcium Phosphate, Oregano, Black Pepper and Garlic.

I like Smokin' Soons recipe better.  :D

[classicrockgriller]

If you have access to any Bahia spices, they make a good Adobo also.

Goya also makes something they call "Goya Complete Seasoning" that is

pretty good also.