Carne Adovada
Carne adovada is tender New Mexico pork simmered in a rich red chile sauce made from dried ancho and guajillo chiles. Easy and so good.
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 8 ancho chiles, rinsed, stemmed, seeded, and torn into pieces
- 12 guajillo chiles, rinsed, stemmed, seeded, and torn into pieces
- 1 bay leaf
- Water, as needed
- 8 cloves garlic
- ½ cup distilled white vinegar
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
- ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons oil, divided
- 3 pounds pork shoulder, cut into bite-sized chunks
- 1 medium onion, diced
- For serving: chopped cilantro, lime wedges, warm tortillas
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chiles and toast until fragrant, stirring frequently for about 1-2 minutes.
- Transfer the chiles to a medium pot. Add the bay leaf and fill the pot with water until the chiles are completely covered.
- Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then remove from heat, cover, and let the chiles soak for 10 minutes.
- Transfer the softened chiles and the bay leaf to a large blender using a slotted spoon.
- Add 3 cups of the chile-soaked water, the garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, oregano, thyme, sugar, cumin, and salt. Blend until smooth and set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add ½ of the pork shoulder and sear on all sides until browned, then transfer to a bowl or large plate.
- Add 1 more tablespoon of oil to the pot and the remaining pork. Sear on all sides until browned, then transfer to the same bowl or plate.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pot along with the onion. Cook for 5 minutes, scraping any brown bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan.
- Add the seared pork back into the pot and pour the blended chile sauce on top. Mix together to combine.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 2 hours.
- Serve in a bowl garnished with chopped cilantro, lime wedges, and a side of warm flour tortillas and/or rice.
Notes
- Storage. Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week, or freeze (cooled completely) for up to 3 months. Reheat in a pot over medium heat or in the microwave until hot. It tastes even better the next day.
- Toasting the dried chiles. Make sure to only toast the dried chiles for 1-2 minutes. The chiles will start to puff up and become fragrant. Don’t toast for longer than 2 minutes or they will burn and become bitter.
- Use a slow cooker. You can also make this recipe in a slow cooker. Prepare the chile sauce and brown the pork and onions as directed. Transfer all the ingredients into a slow cooker and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 468kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 1863mg | Potassium: 1821mg | Fiber: 22g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 19954IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 7mg