Braised New Mexico–Style Pork in Red Chile Sauce (Carne Adovada)
By Annie PetitoPublished on June 27, 2018
Time
2¾ to 3¼ hours, plus 1½ hours salting and standing
Yield
Serves 6
Ingredients
Before You Begin
Pork butt roast is often labeled Boston butt. For an accurate measurement of boiling water, bring a full kettle of water to a boil and then measure out the desired amount. If you can’t find New Mexico chiles, substitute dried California chiles. Dried chiles should be pliable and smell slightly fruity. Kitchen shears can be used to cut them. If you can’t find Mexican oregano, substitute Mediterranean oregano. Letting the stew rest for 10 minutes before serving allows the sauce to thicken and better coat the meat. Serve with rice and beans, crispy potatoes, or flour tortillas with shredded lettuce and chopped tomato, or shred the pork as a filling for tacos and burritos.
Instructions
- Toss 1 boneless pork butt roast, trimmed and cut into 1½-inch pieces, and 1 tablespoon kosher salt together in bowl; refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Place 4 ounces dried New Mexico chiles (wiped clean, stemmed, seeded, and torn into 1-inch pieces) in medium bowl. Pour 4 cups boiling water over chiles, making sure they are completely submerged, and let stand until softened, 30 minutes. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees.
- Drain chiles and reserve 2 cups soaking liquid (discard remaining liquid). Process chiles, 2 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar, 5 peeled garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, ½ teaspoon cayenne, ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt in blender until chiles are finely ground and thick paste forms, about 30 seconds. With blender running, add 1 cup reserved liquid and process until smooth, 1½ to 2 minutes, adding up to ¼ cup additional reserved liquid to maintain vortex. Add remaining reserved liquid and continue to blend sauce at high speed, 1 minute longer.
- Combine pork and chile sauce in Dutch oven, stirring to make sure pork is evenly coated. Bring to boil over high heat. Cover pot, transfer to oven, and cook until pork is tender and fork inserted into pork meets little to no resistance, 2 to 2½ hours.
- Using wooden spoon, scrape any browned bits from sides of pot and stir until pork and sauce are recombined and sauce is smooth and homogeneous. Let stand, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Serve with lime wedges. (Leftover pork can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
Time
2¾ to 3¼ hours, plus 1½ hours salting and standingYield
Serves 6Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
To make carne adovada—a classic, ultrasimple New Mexican pork braise—we started by cutting boneless pork butt into large chunks and salting them (so that they would be well seasoned and retain moisture during cooking) while we prepared the chile sauce. We used a generous 4 ounces of dried red New Mexico chiles, which are fruity and relatively mild. But rather than toast them, as we often do with dried chiles, we simply steeped them in water to preserve their bright flavor. When they were pliable, we blended them with aromatics and spices (including garlic, oregano, cumin, cayenne, and cloves), as well as honey and white vinegar, to form a thick paste; then we added some of the soaking water to form a smooth puree. We tossed the pork with the puree in a Dutch oven and then braised it in a low oven until the meat was very tender.
Before You Begin
Pork butt roast is often labeled Boston butt. For an accurate measurement of boiling water, bring a full kettle of water to a boil and then measure out the desired amount. If you can’t find New Mexico chiles, substitute dried California chiles. Dried chiles should be pliable and smell slightly fruity. Kitchen shears can be used to cut them. If you can’t find Mexican oregano, substitute Mediterranean oregano. Letting the stew rest for 10 minutes before serving allows the sauce to thicken and better coat the meat. Serve with rice and beans, crispy potatoes, or flour tortillas with shredded lettuce and chopped tomato, or shred the pork as a filling for tacos and burritos.
Instructions
- Toss 1 boneless pork butt roast, trimmed and cut into 1½-inch pieces, and 1 tablespoon kosher salt together in bowl; refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Place 4 ounces dried New Mexico chiles (wiped clean, stemmed, seeded, and torn into 1-inch pieces) in medium bowl. Pour 4 cups boiling water over chiles, making sure they are completely submerged, and let stand until softened, 30 minutes. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees.
- Drain chiles and reserve 2 cups soaking liquid (discard remaining liquid). Process chiles, 2 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar, 5 peeled garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, ½ teaspoon cayenne, ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt in blender until chiles are finely ground and thick paste forms, about 30 seconds. With blender running, add 1 cup reserved liquid and process until smooth, 1½ to 2 minutes, adding up to ¼ cup additional reserved liquid to maintain vortex. Add remaining reserved liquid and continue to blend sauce at high speed, 1 minute longer.
- Combine pork and chile sauce in Dutch oven, stirring to make sure pork is evenly coated. Bring to boil over high heat. Cover pot, transfer to oven, and cook until pork is tender and fork inserted into pork meets little to no resistance, 2 to 2½ hours.
- Using wooden spoon, scrape any browned bits from sides of pot and stir until pork and sauce are recombined and sauce is smooth and homogeneous. Let stand, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Serve with lime wedges. (Leftover pork can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
Gift This Recipe
Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.
Key Equipment
Keep Exploring
0 Comments