New Mexico Red Chile & Pork Stew (Carne Adovada)

By Andy Anderson !
@ThePretentiousWichitaChef

Carne Adovada is a wonderful staple of New Mexico dinner tables. With chunks of fork-tender pork swimming in an awesome red chile sauce, it is a flavor explosion.

One important point… The only way to create an authentic Carne Adovada, is to use a chile pepper that’s only grown in New Mexico. It’s not easy to find, and you might have to order it online; but more on that later.

So, you ready… Let’s get into the kitchen.

Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆ 0 votes

Comments:

33 Comments

Serves:

Prep:

24 Hr

Cook:

3 Hr

Method:

Bake

Ingredients

2 Tbsp: grapeseed, vegetable, or canola oil
2 medium: garlic cloves, minced
4 oz: new mexico red chile pods whole, dried (medium heat)
2 1/2 c: filtered water
1/2 medium: yellow onion, medium dice
1 Tbsp: chile pequin, crushed to a powder, or an equal amount of red chile powder
1/2 tsp: garlic powder
1.2 tsp: oregano, dried
1 Tbsp: white wine vinegar
1 tsp: ground cumin
2 lb: boneless pork shoulder
1 large: lime, just the juice

How to Make New Mexico Red Chile & Pork Stew (Carne Adovada)

Step-by-Step

1Red Chile Pods: The New Mexico red chile has a very unique & spicy taste... It’s warm and sweet, at the same time. You want those that have been sun dried. In addition, they come in five different varieties: mild, medium, hot, x-hot, and xx-hot. For this dish use mild, or medium. The best come from the Hatch Valley area of New Mexico. A good place to get them online is: diazfarms.com/chile-shop?page=shop.b...
2Chile Pequin: A small chile pepper, usually attaining a length of only 1/2 inch. They are extremely hot (between 13 to 40 times hotter than a jalapeño) On the Scoville scale they rate from 60,000 to 100,000. In other words: A little goes a long way. A good place to get them online is: spicesinc.com/p-1537-pequin-chiles.a...
3Red Chile Powder: If you don’t want the heat of the Chile Pequin, you can substitute an equal amount of New Mexico red chile powder. You won’t have as much heat; however, the flavor will still be there. A good place to purchase on line is: diazfarms.com/chile-shop?page=shop.b...
4Chef’s Note: Since this dish requires resting in the refrigerator overnight, you might want to start the process later in the afternoon.
5Gather your ingredients.
6Place the oil in a large saucepan, or Dutch oven, over medium heat.
7Put the minced garlic into the pan and sauté, until it begins to color.
8Chef’s Tip: It will go from golden, to brown, to burned in a short time. Keep your eye on that pan.
9Remove the pan from the heat, and leave the garlic in the pan.
10Place a rack in the middle position, and preheat the oven to 375f (190c).
11Chef’s Note: Is it spelled Chile, or Chili? This is rule that I go by. The hot peppers or the plant from which the peppers come should be spelled with an "e." A spicy dish of meat and sometimes beans should be spelled with an "i." You can start a bar fight with that question.
12Remove the stems from the peppers, and shake to remove the seeds.
13Place peppers into a colander and then rinse and drain.
14Place in a single layer on a baking sheet, put into the oven, and bake for about 5 to 7 minutes. This will remove any excess water.
15Remove from the oven and allow them to cool.
16Once sufficiently cool, break each chile into several pieces.
17Place the peppers into a blender, or food processor fitted with an S-blade.
18Add the filtered water.
19Process until pureed.
20Chef’s Note: You will probably see a few bits, but for the most part, the mixture should be nice and smooth.
21Add the pureed chilies into the saucepan with the garlic.
22Add the remaining ingredients, with the exception of the pork and limejuice, to the saucepan.
23Bring the sauce to the boil, and then immediately reduce to a low simmer.
24Continue to stir and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the sauce begins to thicken.
25Chef’s Note: We don’t want it too thick, almost like a light cream sauce.
26Chef's Note Remove the saucepan from the heat, and allow it to cool down to room temperature, about 1 to 2 hours.
27Chef’s Tip: Don’t hasten the cooling process by placing the saucepan in the refrigerator. As the sauce slowly cools it gives the spices a chance to get acquainted.
28While the sauce is cooling, trim the excess fat from the pork and cut into 1 to 1.5 inch cubes.
29Chef’s Note: You don’t have to be perfect here… this is a rustic dish.
30Chef’s Tip: If you’re planning on using this in a burrito or taco, cut the meat into smaller pieces.
31Stir the pork into the chile sauce, cover and place in the refrigerator, overnight.
32The next day, place a rack in the lower position, and preheat the oven to 275f (135c).
33Cover and place into the oven, and bake until the meat is fork tender, and the sauce has cooked down, about 3 hours.
34About once an hour, open the oven and give the stew a quick stir.
35Chef’s Note: If, after 3 hours, the sauce still seems a bit runny, remove the cover, and allow to bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes.
36Remove from oven and add the reserved limejuice.
37Serve with a simple side salad of lettuce and tomatoes, and bring plenty of freshly made flour tortillas. Enjoy.
38Keep the faith, and keep cooking.