Carne Adovada (Red Chile and Pork Stew)
How to Make It
Preheat oven to 350°. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a large, heavy-bottomed, ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until onions are golden, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer onions and garlic to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, salt, cumin, and pepper. Add pork and toss to coat. Return pot to medium-high heat, add remaining 1 tbsp. oil, and, working in batches, lightly brown meat on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes per batch. Transfer meat to a separate bowl as you go.
Return onions and garlic to pot. Sprinkle with ground chiles and cook, stirring, 2 minutes (mixture will be thick). Add broth, stirring to loosen browned bits from bottom of pot. Whirl sauce in a blender until smooth. Return sauce to pot and add bay leaf and reserved pork.
Cover pot, put in oven, and cook 1 hour. Set lid slightly ajar and cook until pork is fork-tender, about 1 hour more. Remove bay leaf before serving.
Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving.
Cooking with chiles
Ground dried red chiles are used to both season and thicken sauces (don't be intimidated by the large quantities called for; this ingredient is nothing like cayenne or supermarket “chili powder,â€Â� which is a blend of several seasonings). The ground chiles are sold according to heat level (from mild and sweet to quite spicy), so be sure to buy a batch that suits your taste. Look for it in Latin markets and gourmet stores, or see “Finding New Mexico Chiles,â€Â� (below) for mail-order sources.
Finding New Mexico chiles
The Chile Shop. Good source for ground dried red chiles. From $50 for 8 oz.; Santa Fe; www.thechileshop.com or 505/983-
Chimayo to Go. Sells ground dried red Chimayo chiles grown in southern New Mexico. $25 for 8 oz.; www.cibolojunction.com or 800/683-
Native Seeds/SEARCH. Grow northern New Mexico chiles from heirloom seeds. www.nativeseeds.org or 866/622-
Santa Fe Farmers Market. The best place to find northern New Mexico chiles, both fresh and dried. Various locations and hours; contact www.santafefarmersmarket.com or 505/983-
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a large, heavy-bottomed, ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until onions are golden, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer onions and garlic to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, salt, cumin, and pepper. Add pork and toss to coat. Return pot to medium-high heat, add remaining 1 tbsp. oil, and, working in batches, lightly brown meat on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes per batch. Transfer meat to a separate bowl as you go.
Return onions and garlic to pot. Sprinkle with ground chiles and cook, stirring, 2 minutes (mixture will be thick). Add broth, stirring to loosen browned bits from bottom of pot. Whirl sauce in a blender until smooth. Return sauce to pot and add bay leaf and reserved pork.
Cover pot, put in oven, and cook 1 hour. Set lid slightly ajar and cook until pork is fork-tender, about 1 hour more. Remove bay leaf before serving.
Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving.
Cooking with chiles
Ground dried red chiles are used to both season and thicken sauces (don't be intimidated by the large quantities called for; this ingredient is nothing like cayenne or supermarket “chili powder,â€Â� which is a blend of several seasonings). The ground chiles are sold according to heat level (from mild and sweet to quite spicy), so be sure to buy a batch that suits your taste. Look for it in Latin markets and gourmet stores, or see “Finding New Mexico Chiles,â€Â� (below) for mail-order sources.
Finding New Mexico chiles
The Chile Shop. Good source for ground dried red chiles. From $50 for 8 oz.; Santa Fe; www.thechileshop.com or 505/983-
Chimayo to Go. Sells ground dried red Chimayo chiles grown in southern New Mexico. $25 for 8 oz.; www.cibolojunction.com or 800/683-
Native Seeds/SEARCH. Grow northern New Mexico chiles from heirloom seeds. www.nativeseeds.org or 866/622-
Santa Fe Farmers Market. The best place to find northern New Mexico chiles, both fresh and dried. Various locations and hours; contact www.santafefarmersmarket.com or 505/983-