Carne Adovada (New Mexico-Style Pork With Red Chiles)

Similar to chile con carne but made with pork, carne adovada is a New Mexico dish offering perfectly tender chunks of pork shoulder braised in a base made of an assortment of chiles.

Carne Adovada (New Mexico-Style Pork With Red Chiles)
Servings 4
Difficulty Medium

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1

    Add dried chiles to large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or stock pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until slightly darkened with intense, roasted aroma, 2 to 5 minutes. Do not allow to smoke. Add chicken stock, raisins, orange juice concentrate, chipotles in adobo, white vinegar, and fish sauce. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a bare simmer, and let cook until chiles are totally softened, about 15 minutes. Blend into a smooth puree using an immersion blender or by transferring to a countertop blender. Set aside.

  2. 2

    Carefully pat pork cubes dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Heat vegetable oil in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over high heat until smoking. Add pork all at once and spread evenly over bottom surface. (It&

  3. 3

    Add chile mixture to Dutch oven and stir to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Add bay leaves along with the pork and any accumulated juices. Bring to a boil then reduce to a bare simmer. Cover, leaving lid slightly ajar, and cook, stirring occasionally until pork chunks break apart when you apply pressure with a spoon, about 2 hours.

  4. 4

    Sauce should be thick, with an almost ketchup-like consistency. If too thin, increase heat to a light simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until reduced to the desired consistency. Season to taste with salt.

  5. 5

    Serve pork with corn tortillas, cilantro, diced onions, lime wedges, and queso fresco. Pork can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.