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Carne De Puerco En Chile Colorado Recipe

Name: Mitla Cafes Carne De Puerco En Chile Colorado Recipe
Cook time: 1 h 50 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1.5 kg pork shoulder (boneless), cut into 1 - 1½ inch cubes; 2 tsp kosher salt; 1 tsp ground black pepper; 1 tsp dried oregano (preferably Mexican); 4 cloves garlic cloves, minced; 2 tbsp vegetable oil (for browning); 6 pieces dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed; 2 pieces dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed; 3 cups hot water (for soaking chiles); 1 medium white onion, quartered; 1 medium tomato, quartered (or 2 roma tomatoes); 3 cloves garlic cloves; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano; 0.25 tsp ground cinnamon; 0.125 tsp cloves, ground; 1 piece bay leaf; 2 cups chicken or pork stock (low sodium); 2 tbsp vegetable oil or lard; 1 tsp salt (for sauce); 0.5 tsp sugar (optional, to balance acidity); 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped; 4 pieces lime wedges; 8 pieces warm corn or flour tortillas; 2 cups cooked Mexican rice or refried beans (optional)

Inspired by Mitla Cafe

Time1h 50m

Serves6

Pork Meat with Red Sauce

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Ingredients

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Pork and marinade

3 1/3 lb (1.5 kg) pork shoulder (boneless), cut into 1 - 1½ inch cubes

2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp dried oregano (preferably Mexican)

4 cloves Garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp vegetable oil (for browning)

Chile Colorado sauce

6 pieces dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed

2 pieces dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed

3 cups hot water (for soaking chiles)

1 medium white onion, quartered

1 medium tomato, quartered (or 2 roma tomatoes)

3 cloves Garlic cloves

1 tsp Ground cumin

1 tsp dried Mexican oregano

1/4 tsp Ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp cloves, ground

1 piece bay leaf

2 cups chicken or pork stock (low sodium)

2 tbsp vegetable oil or lard

1 tsp salt (for sauce)

1/2 tsp sugar (optional, to balance acidity)

To finish and serve

2 tbsp Fresh cilantro, chopped

4 pieces Lime wedges

8 pieces warm corn or flour tortillas

2 cups cooked Mexican rice or refried beans (optional)

Method

Pork and marinade

Season pork

Pat pork cubes dry with paper towels. In a large bowl, toss the pork with 2 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp dried oregano, and 4 minced garlic cloves until evenly coated. Let sit at room temperature for 15–20 minutes while you prepare the chiles.

Chile Colorado sauce

Prepare chiles

Remove stems and seeds from the guajillo and ancho chiles. Wipe them with a damp towel to remove dust. Place chiles in a medium bowl and pour 3 cups of hot (not boiling) water to cover. Let soak 20–25 minutes until softened.

Blend sauce

In a skillet over medium heat, dry-toast the quartered onion pieces, tomato and 3 garlic cloves for 3–4 minutes until lightly charred and softened (turning occasionally). Remove from heat. Transfer the softened chiles (reserve the soaking liquid), toasted onion, tomato, garlic, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp dried oregano, 0.25 tsp cinnamon and 0.125 tsp ground cloves to a blender. Add about 1 cup of the chile soaking liquid and blend on high until very smooth, about 1–2 minutes. If mixture is very thick, add additional soaking liquid a few tablespoons at a time to reach a smooth, pourable sauce (but not watery). Strain the blended sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing with a spatula to extract as much puree as possible. Discard solids.

Season sauce

Taste the strained sauce and stir in 1 tsp salt and 0.5 tsp sugar if needed. Set aside.

Browning and braising

Brown pork

Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil (or lard) in a heavy Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches to avoid crowding, brown the pork cubes on all sides, 3–4 minutes per batch. Transfer browned pork to a plate and repeat until all pork is browned. Do not cook through — just develop a deep mahogany crust for flavor.

Combine and braise

Reduce heat to medium. Carefully pour the strained chile sauce into the pot, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Add 2 cups chicken or pork stock and the reserved bay leaf. Return all browned pork (and any accumulated juices) to the pot. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover partially and simmer gently for 1 to 1¼ hours, or until pork is fork-tender. Stir occasionally and skim any excess fat from the surface. If sauce reduces too quickly, add additional stock or water, 1/4 cup at a time.

Adjust seasoning and thicken

When pork is tender, check seasoning and add additional salt to taste. If sauce is too thin, remove pork with a slotted spoon and boil sauce uncovered over medium heat 5–8 minutes until it thickens slightly, then return pork to the sauce and warm through for 2 more minutes.

To finish and serve

Remove bay leaf. Sprinkle chopped cilantro over the stew. Serve hot with lime wedges, warm tortillas and optional rice or refried beans. Spoon pork and plenty of sauce into tortillas for tacos or serve on a plate with sides.