Carne Adovada
by Jeff Hirsch
Description:
While the traditional carne adovada was meat actually cured in a red chili paste, this version tenderizes the cubes of pork through a long cooking process with the sauce. This is a delicious New Mexican specialty of slow braised pork in a red chili sauce. Serve it with warm tortillas, rice and a southwestern cabbage slaw. Top with chopped fresh cilantro. Carne Adovado is also great in burritos.
Serves 4 to 6
Meat
4 pounds boneless pork shoulder, butt or country rib meat,
trimmed of fat and cut into 1 to 2-inch cubes
3 tablespoons cooking oil
salt and pepper to taste
Chili Sauce
3 cups warm water
15 to 20 large dried New Mexico chilies (de-stemmed and seeded)
1 medium onion, diced
2 tablespoons vinegar (cider or wine)
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoons dried cumin
2 teaspoons salt
To make the chili sauce: Stem, seed, and rinse the chilies, then place them in a pot with the 3 cups of warm water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, until tender. Allow to slightly cool. Puree the chilies in a blender with about 2 cups of the cooking liquid, onions, honey, vinegar and the seasonings. Add the remaining pepper liquid and blend again until smooth.
To prepare the pork: Season meat with salt and pepper. Add the oil to the large pot and heat to medium high. Place the meat in the pot with and cook, uncovered, over medium-high heat until lightly browned on all surface. Turn pieces as needed. Turn off heat.
To finish the dish: Pour the freshly made chili sauce over the browned pork and adjust heat to bring to a slow simmer. Cover pot securely and simmer very low for 1 ½ to 2 hours. Skim off any fat that has risen to the surface. At this point the meat should be tender and delicious. This dish can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to two months.
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