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Pork butt, which is cut from the shoulder, is a fatty cut. Trimming as much fat as possible from the meat—not just from the surface but also from between the muscles—helps prevent a greasy stew. After trimming, you should have 4 to 4½ pounds of pork. If the stew nonetheless ends up with fat on the surface, simply use a wide, shallow spoon to skim it off. This adovado is rich and robust; it pairs perfectly with Spanish rice, stewed pinto beans and/or warmed flour tortillas.

Servings: 8 Servings 5 Hours  (50 Minutes Active)

Servings: 8 Servings 5 Hours  (50 Minutes Active)
Ingredients
  • 3 ounces New Mexico chilies, stemmed, seeded and torn into pieces
  • 3 ounces guajillo chilies, stemmed, seeded and torn into pieces
  • 4 cups boiling water, plus 1 cup water
  • 5 pounds boneless pork butt, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1½-inch cubes
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons lard or grapeseed oil
  • 2 medium white onions, chopped
  • 6 medium garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 teaspoons cumin seed
  • 4 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican oregano
  • ¾ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon molasses
  • Lime wedges, to serve
  • Sour cream, to serve
  • Fresh cilantro leaves, to serve
Steps
  1. SOFTEN THE CHILIES:   Place the chilies in a large bowl, pour in the boiling water and stir. Let sit, stirring occasionally, until the chilies have softened, about 30 minutes. Transfer half of the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth, about 1 minute.   Add the remaining chilies and water and blend until smooth, scraping down the blender as needed. Measure ½ cup of the chili puree into a small bowl, cover and refrigerate until needed.   Pour the remaining puree into a medium bowl and set aside; do not scrape out the blender jar. Pour ½ cup of the remaining water into the blender, cover tightly and shake to release all of the puree
  2. COAT THE PORK:   Place the pork in a large bowl. Add 2 teaspoons salt and the chili-water mixture in the blender. Stir to coat, then cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  3. COMBINE AND COOK:   Heat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the lower-middle position. In a large Dutch oven over medium, heat the lard until shimmering. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes.  Stir in the garlic, cumin, coriander, oregano and cayenne, then cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the remaining ½ cup water and the chili puree.  Add the pork and any liquid in the bowl. Stir to combine, then cover the pot, place in the oven and cook for 2 hours.
  4. FINISH COOKING AND SERVE:   Remove the pot from the oven. Uncover, stir and return, uncovered, to the oven. Continue to cook until the pork is tender, another 1¼ to 1½ hours.  Remove from the oven and set on the stove over medium heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the reserved ½ cup chili puree and the molasses.  Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve with lime wedges, sour cream and cilantro leaves. ◆
Notes
  • TIP:   Don’t use just one type of dried chili. New Mexico chilies provide a mild earthiness and subtle sweetness, while guajillos add a fruity quality and hints of smoke; the combination gives this stew a deep, complex flavor. Make sure to seed the chilies, as the seeds won’t break down in the blender and may add unwanted spiciness. Also, don’t use blackstrap molasses, which has a very potent bittersweet flavor.
  • NOTE:   Brick-red carne adovada makes a perfect taco, but New Mexicans use flour tortillas-never corn.
 

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