Carne Adovada (Red Chile Pork Stew)

This recipe was adapted from the Carne Adovada recipe at What’s Cooking America. I used the basic chili based marinade for the pork, which uses 24 rehydrated chilies. I am fortunate to live in an area where dried chilies are readily available in bulk at local Mexican markets, but dried chilies can be obtained from your local supermarket in packages. I used dried Guajillo and California chilies, since those were available, toasted them, and added canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce for a little heat. The chilies are used for flavor and are not hot themselves, so don’t be alarmed at the number of dried chilies used in this dish. The chipotle peppers in adobo sauce used in this dish are together hotter than all the dried chilies. The chilies and all the other spices are used to marinade the pork for 24- or up to 48-hours (the longer the better). What I like about this recipe, is that the marinade is also the sauce and that all the work is done before the dish is cooked in a slow cooker.

 

Enjoy!

Ingredients

3 lb.	1.5 kg.	Boneless country-style pork ribs, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) cubes
24	24	Dried Guajillo and California chilies; toasted, seeded and rehydrated
1-2	1-2	Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1	1	Onion, roughly chopped
6 cloves	6 cloves	Garlic, crushed in a garlic press
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Whole or ground cumin
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Dried oregano
3 Tbs.	45 ml.	Tequila (optional)
3 Tbs.	45 ml.	Tapioca starch
3 Tbs.	45 ml.	Water
1	1	Onion, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces
1 lb.	500 g.	Carrots, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces on the diagonal
30 oz.	850 g.	One can Mexican-style hominy, drained
30 oz.	850 g.	One can black beans, drained

 

Equipment

		Garlic press
		Spice or coffee grinder
11 cup	2.6 L.	Food Processor
4 qt.	3.8 L.	Covered bowl
6.5 qt.	6 L.	Slow cooker (crock pot) to cook the stew

 

Preparation Instructions (Two Days Before)

1. Place the chilies over a gas burner or in an oven until the chilies are toasted. You want the chilies to have some charring, but be careful not to burn the chilies. Once the chilies have cooled, remove the stems and seeds from the chilies, and place them into a heat proof bowl. It’s okay if the seeds aren’t totally removed from the toasted chilies.
2. Pour boiling water over the chilies in the heat proof bowl and allow to soak for at least one hour. Put the soaked chilies into a food processor and add enough rehydrating liquid to cover the chilies. Add the chipotle chilies and some of the adobo sauce to the food processor. Turn the food processor on and grind the mixture until smooth. You want a slightly thick mixture, which can be controlled by the amount of the chili rehydration liquid added to the food processor.
3. Remove the tough outer onion skin, roughly chop one onion, and add the onion to the food processor. Crush the garlic in garlic press and add to the food processor, turn on the food processor, and grind the mixture until smooth.
4. If using whole cumin, grind the cumin in a coffee or spice grinder and add it to the food processor. Add the oregano and the tequila (optional) to the food processor, and pulse the food processor until the ingredients are fully incorporated.
5. Cut the boneless country-style pork ribs into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces and place into a large covered bowl. In the USA, pork shoulder is deboned and cut into long rectangular pieces (ribs), so substitute pork shoulder if boneless country-style pork ribs are not available.
6. Pour the chili mixture in the food processor over the pork pieces in the bowl. Mix the ingredients together to fully coat the pork pieces. Cover the container and allow to marinade 24- or up to 48 hours in the refrigerator (the longer the better).

Cooking Instructions

1. Take the bowl with the pork out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking. Put the contents of the container into the slow cooker.
2. Mix the tapioca starch with water and then add the mixture to the slow cooker. Mix the tapioca starch evenly with the ingredients in the slow cooker.
3. Wash and cut the carrots into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces. Place the carrot pieces into the slow cooker.
4. Open and drain the cans of hominy and black beans, and place the contents into the slow cooker.
5. Remove the tough outer onion skin and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces. Place the onion pieces into the slow cooker.
6. Cover and set the slow cooker on the low setting to cook for up to 8 hours. When done, skim any excess fat from the stew. Serve with steamed rice and/or tortillas.