Carne Adovada Plate Recipe

Prepare chiles

Remove stems and seeds from the dried chiles. Wipe them lightly with a dry towel. Heat a dry skillet over medium heat and toast the chiles, flipping, for 20–30 seconds per side until aromatic but not burnt. Transfer toasted chiles to a bowl and cover with 1 1/2 cups hot (not boiling) water. Let soak 15–20 minutes until softened.

Make chile sauce

Drain chiles, reserving 1/2 cup of soaking liquid. In a blender, combine the softened chiles, reserved soaking liquid, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon vinegar, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/2–1 cup of fresh water (use less for thicker sauce). Blend until very smooth. Taste and adjust salt/vinegar. If sauce is too thick, add up to 1/2 cup more water to reach a pourable consistency.

Brown the pork

Pat pork cubes dry and season lightly with remaining salt and pepper. Heat oil in a heavy Dutch oven or large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, brown pork on all sides, about 6–8 minutes per batch. Transfer browned pork to a plate.

Simmer pork in sauce

Reduce heat to medium, add the remaining 4 cloves garlic (smashed) to the pot and sauté 30–60 seconds until fragrant. Pour the blended chile sauce into the pot, stir and scrape any browned bits from the bottom. Add the browned pork back in, pour in 1 cup chicken or pork broth, add the bay leaf and optional orange juice. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover partially, reduce heat to low and simmer 1 to 1 1/4 hours until pork is tender and sauce has thickened. Stir occasionally and add a splash of water or broth if sauce reduces too much.

Finish and adjust seasoning

When pork is fork-tender, remove bay leaf. Taste and adjust salt, vinegar or a pinch of sugar if needed to balance acidity. If you prefer shredded texture, shred pork with two forks in the sauce; otherwise leave as cubes. Keep warm.

Warm the corn tortillas on a dry skillet or comal for 20–30 seconds per side and keep covered with a clean towel to stay soft.

Reheat refried beans and Mexican rice if needed. Spoon a portion of beans and rice onto each plate (about 1/2 cup rice and 1/2 cup beans per serving).

Spoon 3/4–1 cup of the adovada (with sauce) onto each plate alongside the rice and beans. Garnish the meat with diced onion, chopped cilantro and crumbled queso fresco. Add shredded lettuce and pickled red onions to the plate.

Serve with warm tortillas and lime wedges on the side so diners can make tacos or eat components separately.