BeefSpanish

Steak with Adobo Pan Sauce

Name: Steak with Adobo Pan Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 120 ml Sherry Vinegar; 60 ml Water; 4 cloves Garlic; 2 tsp Sweet Paprika; 1 tsp Smoked Paprika; 2 tsp Ground Cumin; 1 tsp Dried Oregano; 2 Bay Leaves; 1½ tsp Fine Salt; 1 Thick Scotch Fillet; 1 tsp Honey; 80 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil; 150 g Whole-Egg Mayonnaise; Cos Lettuce; Pico de Gallo

Spain 2026 · On land · Tragatá, Ronda

The cumin-sherry sharpness against charred beef fat is outrageous.

Start cooking

Prep15 min

Cook15 min

Total30 min

LevelEasy

In JD’s words

The steak version of the fried fish in adobo from Tragatá in Ronda. I asked for it: the same adobo, but instead of marinating fish in it, it is reduced into a pan sauce and spooned over chargrilled beef. Same wrap-and-dip ritual, Adelaide beef edition.

The adobo is an ancient Andalusian marinade — sherry vinegar, garlic, paprika, cumin, oregano and bay. Reduced with a little honey and whisked with olive oil it becomes a glossy, spoonable sauce: sharp, smoky and cumin-forward, somewhere between a chimichurri and a romesco in spirit.

This is NOT the Mexican adobo (the chilli paste that chipotles come tinned in) and not Filipino adobo either. “Adobo” just means “marinade” in Spanish. The Andalusian original has zero chilli — the paprika gives colour and smoke, not heat.

The base adobo makes more than the sauce needs. The rest keeps a week refrigerated, and is the marinade for the Fried Fish in Adobo.

One buying tip: cumin and smoked paprika go stale fast — buy fresh, or toast whole cumin seeds and grind them for a serious upgrade.

The method

Cook it unhurried.

01
The Base Adobo
Whisk everything together and let it sit at least 30 minutes for the garlic and bay to infuse. Keeps a week refrigerated.
02
The Adobo Mayonnaise
Whisk 2 tbsp of strained base adobo into the mayonnaise, half a tablespoon at a time, tasting as you go — stop when it’s tangy and smoky but still holds its body. Keeps 4 days refrigerated.
03
The Steak
Chargrill a thick scotch fillet, then rest it 8 minutes.
04
The Pan Sauce
While the steak rests, strain 100 ml of the base adobo into a small saucepan with the honey. Simmer 3–4 minutes until reduced by a third. Off the heat, whisk in the olive oil in a slow stream until it emulsifies into a glossy, spoonable sauce. Loosen with a splash of steak resting juices.
05
Serve
Slice the steak into fat chunks and spoon over the warm adobo pan sauce. Serve with cos lettuce cups, pico de gallo and adobo mayo.

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