Today let’s talk about those dried, red chilis you see at the store. This dish, Carne Adovada, is from New Mexico and the word adovada just means “marinated.” And that’s where the red chiles come in. Those dried red chiles are mixed with lots of spices and other goodies to make a thick sauce to cook the pork in.
This dish is traditionally made with pork, but you could also use beef. Just make sure it’s a cut that takes well to long, slow cooking such as a chuck roast.
Once it’s done you can eat it with rice and beans, make nachos with it or my favorite: soft tacos with cilantro, onions, a squeeze of lime and a white Mexican cheese.
This recipe is cooked in the oven but you can also cook it in a slow cooker while you’re at work.
Carne Adovada
3.5- to 4-pound boneless pork butt, trimmed of fat and cut into 1.5" pieces
4 oz dried New Mexico chiles, wiped clean, stemmed, seeded and cut into 1" pieces
4 cups boiling water
2 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons distilled
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
5 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tsp dried Mexican oregano
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp ground cloves
Kosher salt
Place pork pieces in a large mixing bowl, sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon kosher salt, stir to distribute the salt and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Place chile pieces in a medium bowl. Add boiling water to chiles, stir, making sure chiles are submerged. Let chiles steep for 30 minutes.
While chiles are rehydrating, move oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 325.
Once the chiles have finished rehydrating, reserve 2 cups of the hot steeping liquid. Drain the chiles and discard the remaining liquid.
Place chiles, honey, vinegar, garlic, oregano, cumin, cayenne, cloves, and 1 teaspoons kosher salt into the blender. Process into a thick paste until chiles are finely ground, about 30 seconds. With blender running, add 1 cup of the reserved liquid and process for 2 minutes until smooth, adding an additional 1/4 cup of liquid if necessary to maintain the blender vortex. Finally, add the remaining reserved liquid and process on high speed for 1 minute.
Place the pork pieces in a Dutch oven (or the slow cooker on low while you’re at work), add the chile sauce, and stir to coat the pork. Bring to a boil on the stovetop. Place lid on the Dutch oven and move it into the oven and cook until pork is fork-tender, about 2 to 2.5 hours.
Use a wooden spoon to scrape any dried bits off the walls of the Dutch oven into the chile sauce. Stir to combine sauce and pork. Let stand uncovered for 10 minutes. Check for salt and add more to taste.
—kwc— Now how about a nice, easy, springtime dessert?
Strawberry Icebox Cake
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound strawberries sliced
7.2 ounces graham crackers 1.5 sleeves
In a stand mixer or with a hand-held mixer, beat the cream, powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form.
Place a very thin layer of cream on the bottom of a 9x9 square pan. Next, add a single layer of graham crackers. Top with 1/3 of the whipped cream and smooth with a spatula. Add 1/3 of the strawberries in an even layer. Repeat layers 2 more times, ending with strawberries. Arrange the berries in a pretty pattern, if desired.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight before serving.
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