Carne Adovada

With only 3 weeks left in the NFL season, I decided to revisit the cuisine of old Mexico. This red pork stew is a simple but classic dish that highlights the taste of the chile. This recipe uses a full cup of chile powder, both to flavor the dish and as a thickener for the stew. Make sure you select a mild variety for this dish. If not, you will definitely regret it later.

Even with using a mild chile powder, some people find the chile in this dish to be overpowering. If that is the case with you, you can still enjoy this dish by removing the pork from the sauce and serving it on corn tortillas with a little cheese. I like to serve this with my Chile Cilantro Rice.


Carne Adovada

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
3-4 lbs pork shoulder roast, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 large onions, chopped
8 cloves garlic, chopped roughly
2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp flour
1 cup mild red chile powder
6 cups chicken broth or water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat one tablespoon oil over medium high heat in Dutch oven or ovenproof heavy bottomed pot. Working in small batches, brown pork in oil. Remove pork from pan and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.

In same pan, saute onion in remaining tablespoon oil over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, or until softened and just starting to turn brown. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Stir in flour and let cook 1 minute longer.

Add chile powder and four cups of the broth or water. Bring almost to a boil, then transfer everything except the pork to blender. Blend until smooth.

Pour chile mixture back into pan and add pork. Add one cup of remaining water or broth. Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer entire pan to the oven. Bake in oven for 1 hour. Stir in last cup of water or broth.  Bake 1 hour more. Serve as a stew, or shred meat and use to fill tortillas.