I'd visited New Mexico three times before I finally tasted
Carne Adovada. It must have had something to do with taste
bud maturity, because in those days, I went for the green
chile all the way. After I'd finally experienced this
amazing dish, I nearly cried with joy. Large pieces of
tender pork, succulent and cooked all day in sauce of deep,
rich red chile. Immediately, I was transformed back to my
grandmother's kitchen where a pot of red chile simmered on
the burner all day. It's scent filled the entire house and
the anticipation of dinner is still in my mind.
What had I missed all these years while traveling in New
Mexico?
The first thing I had to do was figure out how to pronounce
this mysterious dish (the letter D is pronounced TH). And
what exactly did this strange word mean? I grew up in
California where that dish was called Chile Con Carne and
it was made with beef. Adovada was similar, but had a very
different flavor. I learned the word Adovada or Abobada
means to marinate. New Mexican's marinate the pork
overnight before cooking. For me, this is way too much work
and I had to figure out how to make a sauce we could bottle
and get people eating fast. We did, but my New Mexican
friends laugh at this because fast is not a word tied to
the kitchen or to cooking.
Still, we've come up with a winner. You can try ours or if
you insist on the Old World style, here is a recipe adapted
from one of my friends, Toni Salas.
1/4 cup canola oil (4 lbs. Pork butt, cut in 1-2 inch
pieces (Not loin))
1 cup. Chopped brown onion
4 tsp. chopped garlic
2 cups. Low salt beef broth
2 cups Low salt chicken broth
2 tsp. ground coriander seed (Not fresh cilantro)
2 tsp. ground oregano
1 cup New Mexico ground red chile
5 tsp. chile caribe
(2 tsp vinegar)
salt to taste
In a dutch oven, add canola and brown pork. Remove to cool
Add onion, brown until caramelized.
Add remaining ingredients and cook for twenty minutes. Pour
ingredients (except pork) into blender and puree.
When puree has reached room temperature, add pork to glass
baking dish and pour mixture over top.
Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.
The following day, remove cover and bake at 350 for three
hours.
----------------------------------------------------
Chuck Machado is President of New Mexico Chile Company,
makers of award winning cooking sauces under the label
Coyote Trail
http://www.coyotechile.com
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