Pork Stew in Red Chile Sauce
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of some but not all of its fat, cut into 3/4 -inch cubes
- Salt
- 15 seco del norte chiles
- Boiling water
- 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 inch cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf, preferably Mexican
- 1 heaped teaspoon crumbled dried oregano
- Arrange the pork in one or two layers in a wide, heavy, flameproof casserole.
- Barely cover with water, and season with salt.
- Cover and cook over moderate heat until almost tender, about 30 minutes.
- Drain off most of the broth and reserve, adding enough water to make 2 1/2 cups.
- Continue to cook the pork uncovered until the fat has been rendered and the meat is slightly browned, about 5 minutes longer.
- Meanwhile, using a small sharp knife, slit the chiles lengthwise and remove the stems, seeds and veins.
- Cover with boiling water and set aside to soak for 15 minutes.
- Drain.
- Pour 1/3 cup of the reserved pork broth into a blender.
- Add the garlic, cinnamon, bay leaf and oregano and blend until smooth.
- Add the mixture to the pork in the casserole and fry for a few seconds.
- Add 1 more cup of the reserved broth and the drained chiles, a few at a time, to the blender and puree.
- Strain the chiles over the pork through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing to extract as much of the flesh and juice as possible.
- Fry the pork, scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking, for about 5 minutes longer.
- Add the remaining pork broth to the casserole and cook over low heat until the meat is tender and the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 1 hour.
- Season with salt.
- Serve warm.
pork shoulder, salt, chiles, boiling water, garlic, cinnamon, bay leaf, oregano
Taken from www.foodandwine.com/recipes/pork-stew-in-red-chile-sauce (may not work)