New Mexican Carne Adovada is a dish that is quintessentially New Mexican although versions have traveled Northward into Colorado where I lived for many years. When cravings for the deep red chile flavor come on, this is how I satisfy it.
New Mexican Carne Adovada
New Mexican Carne Adovada is little spiciness balanced by a lot of earthy soul; a touch of vinegar accents the flavors beautifully and rounds it out nicely. Traditionally, Adovada is very simple home cooking, but don’t let that lull you into thinking it’s not one of the best Mexican/Southwestern dishes you’ll ever eat.
About New Mexican Carne Adovada:
Carne Adovada is all about the chile flavor and not so much about the heat. A special touch comes from the smoky, slightly fruity native New Mexican chiles. There are only a handful of ingredients in Adovada, but each plays its role beautifully.
There’s a complexity here from the long marination in the sauce, the adobo. It’s scratch-made and has the signature adobe flavorings of chiles spiked with vinegar and the faintest hint of sweet/sour flavors.
When your New Mexican Carne Adovada is finished, you’ll have gorgeous chunks of tender meat that will all but fall apart when gently pressed with your fork. That long, slow braise leaves this pork succulent with the rich, caramelized sauce seared into the exterior of the luscious pork.
No bloggers show the braising pan! All that mess left behind as the sauce reduces = flavor!
Serving:
Serve Adovado with tortillas so the Adovada can be scooped from the dish or made into soft tacos. Flour’s preferred since Adovado is a north-of-the-border dish, but you do you. Corn vs. Flour from Food Republic is a fun read if you’re a geek like me!
Bring whatever favorite accompaniments you’d like to the table. A little cilantro diced onion, avocado, and some lime are nice.
If using cheese, go for dry jack or Queso Fresco instead of a shredded, melty cheese; it will kill the flavor of the Adovada. If you can’t find Queso Fresco (we love making it) sub in Feta.
Hominy is or was a traditional side; I rarely see it mentioned anymore, and outside of the Southwest you may be hard-pressed to find it. You can never go wrong with rice and beans.
Homemade Queso Fresco
The Beans:
Maybe you’d like to serve with my Instant Pot Refried Beans or my very quick method to Doctor up a can of Refrieds; they taste like they came from a restaurant.
The Rice:
If you don’t have a favorite rice to serve, check out Restaurant Style Mexican Rice or this simple Instant Pot Mexican Rice.
Meet the Chiles:
The Chiles in this dish are mild but flavorful. I used to use all New Mexico Chiles but over the years, added in Ancho chiles for a broader flavor base and Guajillos for more spice. For reference, a jalapeno’s Scoville rating is 2,500 to 8,000.
New Mexico Chiles:
New Mexico chiles are mild with a slightly fruity, earthy flavor described as sweet and cherry-like with a hint of acid. Originally from New Mexico, they’re sometimes called Hatch-style chile or red chile. They’re 800 to 1,400 on the Scoville scale. If New Mexico Chiles are hard to find, a mild option is dried Anaheim chiles, Chile California. They’re 500 to 1,000 on the Scoville Scale.
Ancho Chiles:
Anchos are dried poblanos, smoky and earthy, with a fruitiness reminiscent of raisins; some say they have notes of chocolate or plum. Spicier than New Mexican chiles, they’re still mild: 1,000 to 1,500 on the Scoville scale.
Guajillo Chiles:
Guajillo Chiles (below) are similar to New Mexican with a fruity, earthy flavor but are deeper, sweeter, and spicier. They’re the dried Mirasol: 5,000 to 8,000 on the Scoville scale.
Preparing the Chiles:
It all starts with the Chiles, the day before. My recipe follows the typical method of toasting the chiles, deseeding them, then soaking them. They’re added to a blender with the remaining spices and broth. The resulting thick paste-like sauce becomes a marinade.
There are three ways to go wrong, all of which will make your sauce bitter.
- Over-toasting and/or burning the pods. You’ll need to start over, but first clean whatever vessel you toasted the chiles on.
- Leaving too many seeds in with the chiles and blending them into the sauce. A few won’t make a difference but too many will spoil your dish.
- Using the soaking water to blend the chiles. It seems a shame to waste the flavorful water (and some do use it) but it adds a bitterness to the sauce.
First, toast the chiles in a large dry skillet over medium-high heat. Babysit them closely and remove or turn them as soon as the faintest whiff of flavor becomes apparent. If they’re intact, they might expand. Once toasted and cooled, they become more brittle and it’s easier to pop off the stem and shake out the seeds.
Place the chiles in a container, cover them with boiling water, weigh them down, and allow them to sit until softened, 20 minutes or so. Once soft, tear apart, remove any seeds left, and add to the blender.
- Many skip the toasting and tear the leathery pods apart, removing the stem and seeds which is a time-consuming, thankless task and will leave many seeds behind.
- Others simply soak the chiles a little longer (remove the stems first so the water can get inside) then remove the seeds as they place the chiles in the blender. A little messy but easy and effective.
Making New Mexican Carne Adovada:
The sauce is poured over the pork and the pork marinated overnight, so plan accordingly. Your Adovada recipe should never be complicated. It should be simple (it is time-honored home cooking) and rely on these simple techniques that drive the flavors home.
The next day, pour everything into your Dutch oven and place it in the oven, covered. Only when the pork is nearly finished is the dish uncovered so the sauce sears into the meat. It will darken, which you want, but do watch so it doesn’t burn.
This is not a “wet” dish when finished; the sauce thickens slightly as it cools. The pork will be beautifully moist and have more flavor than you can imagine and the sauce is substantial, integrated into the dish.
You can see how the sauce sears in to the meat.
Saving Money on New Mexican Carne Adovada:
There are few ingredients; shop well to bring this marvelous recipe to the table for practically nothing.
Pork Shoulder:
- One of the cheapest animal proteins. The lowest prices are in the fall and a month or so before any big holiday when ham is served: Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas – something has to be done with the rest of the animal. Know the highs and lows and take advantage of rock-bottom pricing to stock up.
- To learn more about Pork Shoulder (also called Boston Butt see my post on Large Pork Roasts.
Chiles:
- Where the Chiles are bought will make a huge difference in price. They’re typically not expensive, but if a Mexican market is nearby, they’ll be cheaper.
- If a market is not an option, the location and demographics of the grocery, even the same chain, can make a difference in pricing.
- Look for chiles without any signs of mildew. They should be dry but still pliable.
Chicken or Beef Stock:
- The best flex is to make Best Chicken or Turkey Stock. A carton or can is the priciest but shop around and stock up before holiday sales. Some stocks are awful – make sure what you use tastes good.
- Powder is the best bargain; check the Mexican aisle or market and buy one with the English/Spanish label.
New Mexican Carne Adovada
New Mexican Carne Adovada
- Prep Time: 25 minutes plus marinate
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 1/2 hours + overnight
- Yield: 6 - 8 servings 1x
- Category: main dish pork
- Cuisine: Mexican or Southwestern
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 to 4 pounds boneless pork shoulder, fat trimmed and meat cut into 1 1/2 inch or slightly larger cubes
- about 2 1/2 ounces New Mexico Chiles (about 12) or 1 New Mexico and 1/2 Guajillo chiles (about 6 of each)
- 3 ounces Ancho chiles (about 5 to 6)
- Water to cover chiles
- 2 cups of pork, chicken, or beef stock; possibly up to 3 cups, divided
- 2 large onions, chunked
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander (or ground cumin)
- 2 teaspoons salt or to taste
Instructions
In a large, dry skillet over medium heat, toast chiles, turning often. Watch carefully and remove them immediately as soon as you detect a whiff of flavor; any burning will make them bitter. This takes just a minute, but will probably have to be done in batches. Allow to cool, pop off the stem area, and shake out any seeds. Cover with boiling water and let steep until soft and pliable, 20 minutes or so. Drain, tear apart, and discard any remaining seeds as well as the soaking water. See alternative methods in the body of the text.
Start with two cups of stock and blend in two stages. Add the chiles to blender along with enough stock to get the blender going. Start with about a cup and add a little more if needed. As a paste starts to form and there is room in the blender, add the remaining ingredients: the onion, garlic, sugar, vinegar, oregano, coriander (or cumin), and salt. Add any remaining of the original 2 cups of stock. Blend until a thick, very smooth paste is formed. If more stock is needed, add bit by bit from the 3rd cup of stock, adding just enough to thoroughly blend the ingredients. Take your time blending; the paste needs to be smooth with no chunks.
Place pork in a glass dish or bowl, or in a large ziploc bag (place that in a container in case of leaks.) Pour the sauce over, stirring or massaging to coat all the pork, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
When ready to cook, preheat oven to 300 degrees and bake, covered, until meat is nearly tender, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. At this point, taste the sauce and add more sugar, salt, or vinegar if needed.
Place the dish, uncovered, back into the oven and continue to bake another 30 to 45 minutes until the sauce is thickened, the pork noticeably darker and the chunks of meat nearly fall apart when gently pressed. Ovens vary. Check on it every 10 to 15 minutes.
Leftovers:
- Leftovers are outstanding and keep tightly covered in the fridge for four to five days. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave so as not to toughen meat (defrost setting on a microwave works well.) A little water may be needed.
- Carne Adovad freezes well; use within 3 months for best quality. Thaw overnight and heat as above.
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I’m sharing New Mexican Carne Adovada at Throwback Thursday #39 and Fiesta Friday, hosted by Loretta @ Safari of the Mind and Linda @ Fabulous Fare Sisters.
I’m happy to say this dish was featured on Fiesta Friday.
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