Carne Adovada
In the meat section of Mexican markets are large trays of pork or beef sitting in a thick red chile sauce that acts as both tenderizer and flavoring. This is carne adovada. At home, the mixture is slow-cooked into a stew along with additions like posole and vegetables. The chile sauce is a link back to the days before refrigeration, when chiles were used at the market as a preservative. Bueno Foods makes a delicious sauce using New Mexican red chiles that is perfect for this recipe (see Sources, page 167).
Recipe information
Yield
makes 8 tacos
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 325°F. In an ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat and sauté the pork pieces until they have a golden sear on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add the chile sauce, cilantro, cumin, canela, and allspice and cover the pan. Transfer the covered pan to the oven and bake until the pork is tender, about 40 minutes, stirring the mixture at least twice during cooking.
Step 2
Remove from the oven and serve right away with a slotted spoon or keep warm in the pan until ready to serve.
Step 3
To serve, lay the tortillas side by side, open face and overlapping on a platter. Divide the filling equally between the tortillas and top with garnish and salsa. Grab, fold, and eat right away. Or build your own taco: lay a tortilla, open face, in one hand. Spoon on some filling, top with garnish and salsa, fold, and eat right away.
