Carne Adovada Attempt # 1

I love Carne Adovada.  It loves me back too, I just know.  The problem is, I don’t know how to make it.  Help!  Please bear with me, but for the next few months I’m going to be fine tuning the perfect Adovada recipe.  I made my first attempt this weekend.  It is a time commitment I must admit.  This recipe came from Epicurious with a few adjustment.  Nate and Dona are willing to try almost anything so they were my flavor victims.  Thanks, kids.

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 pounds pork butt or pork shoulder, well-trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 onions (chopped)
• 6 cloves garlic (chopped)
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup/8 ounces ground dried New Mexican red chile powder
• 5 to 6 cups water (divided)

1. Pre-heat oven to 275 degrees F.
2. Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Once the pot is hot, add the oil.
3. When the oil is hot, add the pork pieces to brown them. Add only enough pork so the pieces are in a single layer and don’t touch each other; you will likely need to do this in batches. The pork should sizzle the second it touches the pot. Cook the pork, undisturbed, until each piece is well-browned on one side – about 3 minutes. Turn and brown on all sides.
4. Transfer the pork to a large bowl or plate and repeat with remaining batches as needed.
5. When all the pork is browned and set aside, add the onions, garlic, and salt to the pot. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft – about 3 minutes.
6. Sprinkle the onions with flour and pepper and cook, stirring, until the raw flavor of the flour cooks off – about 3 minutes.
7. Add the ground chile and stir to combine. Add 4 cups of water and bring to a boil.   If you have a hand-held immersion blender, this is a good time to use it.
8. Once the sauce is blended, add another 1 cup of water and the browned pork and bring everything to a boil.
9. Cover, transfer to the oven, and bake for 3 to 4 hours, stirring every hour.  Leave the lid off the last hour.

The pork will be fall apart tender and the sauce will be thick.  This is basically pork stew after all, hold the dumplings.

* From the Recipe Box:

You want to use a fatty, “tough” cut like the butt/shoulder for this stew since the meat will become more tender from the long, slow cooking.

I serve this with rice, some shredded ice berg lettuce and a scoop of Pico de Gallo.

If there is any pork left, it will make a great taco with shredded cabbage and yellow onion.

The ground dried New Mexican red chile powder is the deal breaker here.  The one I found here in town was major boring.  It tasted totally shallow.  I’m ordering a few from New Mexico and I’ll keep you posted on the winner.

and remember:  Don’t stop until you’re proud.  Big kiss, Lynn