Carne Adobada Recipe

Prepare chiles

Remove stems and seeds from the guajillo and ancho chiles. Rinse quickly under cold water to remove dust.

Toast the chiles lightly in a dry skillet over medium heat for 20–30 seconds per side until fragrant but not scorched. Transfer to a bowl and cover with 2 cups of hot (not boiling) water to soften for 15 minutes.

Make adobo sauce

Drain chiles, reserving 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid. In a blender add the rehydrated chiles, reserved soaking liquid, vinegar, orange juice, chopped chipotle, garlic, cumin, oregano, black pepper, cinnamon, ground cloves, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Blend until very smooth, about 1–2 minutes. If mixture is too thick, add a tablespoon of water or more soaking liquid to reach a pourable sauce (about the consistency of heavy cream).

Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning — add remaining 1/2 tsp salt if needed, more vinegar for brightness, or more chipotle for heat.

Marinate the pork

Place the pork cubes in a large bowl or zip-top bag. Pour the adobo sauce over the pork, rubbing to coat all pieces. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight (up to 24 hours) to allow flavors to penetrate.

Brown and braise

When ready to cook, remove pork from fridge and let sit 20 minutes. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear pork pieces for 2–3 minutes per side until nicely browned. Transfer browned pieces to a plate. After browning all pork, pour remaining marinade through a fine-mesh sieve into the pan, pressing solids to extract sauce (discard solids).

Bring the sauce to a simmer, then return pork to the pan. Reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer gently for 45–60 minutes until pork is tender and sauce has thickened. Alternatively, place covered Dutch oven in a 325°F (160°C) oven for 1 to 1¼ hours. Stir occasionally and spoon sauce over the meat.

If sauce is too thin at the end, increase heat and cook uncovered for 5–10 minutes to reduce. For a slightly crisp exterior, remove pork pieces from sauce and broil 3–4 minutes on a baking sheet, turning once, until edges caramelize. Return to sauce or serve as desired.

Warm the corn tortillas on a dry skillet or comal until pliable and lightly charred in spots, about 30–60 seconds per side.

Heat the finished carne adobada gently. Chop larger pork pieces into bite-size if desired.

Serve pork on warmed tortillas, top with chopped onion, cilantro, a squeeze of lime, and pickled red onions if using.

Leftovers: Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months. Reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of water or brush with a little oil and oven-broil to refresh.