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Loading...Carne Adovada is a signature New Mexican dish featuring pork shoulder marinated and slow-braised in a sauce of toasted dried red chiles, garlic, and warm spices. The deep, brick-red sauce is earthy, smoky, and gently fiery, with pork so tender it nearly melts. Serve it over rice or pinto beans with warm tortillas for an authentic Northern New Mexico plate.
Prep Time25 mins
Cook Time150 mins
Total Time175 mins
Servings4
Yield4 generous servings
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (estimated)
- 485 kcalCalories
- 28 gFat
- 9 gSaturated Fat
- 18 gCarbs
- 6 gFiber
- 6 gSugar
- 38 gProtein
- 820 mgSodium
- 950 mgPotassium
- 80 mgCalcium
- 4.5 mgIron
- 18 mgVitamin C
- 280 mcgVitamin A
Ingredients
For the Red Chile Sauce
- 6 dried New Mexico red chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 2 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 1 large white onion, roughly chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 tsp dried Mexican oregano
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed
For the Pork and Braise
- 2.5 lbs boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1.5-inch cubes
- 2 tbsp lard or vegetable oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour (optional, for thickening)
- Warm rice, pinto beans, and flour tortillas, for serving
- Lime wedges and chopped cilantro, for garnish
Directions
- Toast the dried chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 20 to 30 seconds per side until fragrant and just blistered; do not burn them. Transfer to a bowl, cover with boiling water, and soak for 20 minutes until softened.
- Drain the chiles, reserving about 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid. In a blender, combine the soaked chiles, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, cloves, vinegar, chicken broth, and reserved soaking liquid. Blend until completely smooth, about 2 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve for a silky sauce.
- Season the pork cubes evenly with salt and pepper. If time allows, toss the pork with the strained chile sauce and refrigerate for 1 to 12 hours to deepen the flavor.
- Heat the lard in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear the pork cubes on all sides until deeply browned, about 6 to 8 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate.
- Return all the pork to the pot and pour in the chile sauce. Add extra broth if needed so the liquid nearly covers the meat. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover, and braise gently for 2 to 2.5 hours, stirring every 30 minutes, until the pork is fork-tender and the sauce has thickened to coat the back of a spoon. For a thicker gravy, stir in the flour during the last 20 minutes.
- Taste and adjust salt and vinegar. If the sauce is too thin, simmer uncovered for 10 more minutes; if too thick, loosen with a splash of broth.
- Serve the carne adovada in shallow bowls over rice or pinto beans, with warm tortillas, lime wedges, and cilantro on the side.
Cook’s Notes
- Use authentic New Mexico red chiles (such as Chimayo or Hatch) when available; a blend with guajillo and ancho gives a balanced heat and deep color.
- Marinating the pork in the chile sauce overnight in the refrigerator produces the most deeply flavored, brick-red result.
- Toast the chiles briefly and watch them closely; burned chiles will make the entire dish bitter.
- For a slow-cooker version, sear the pork first, then combine with the sauce and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours.
- Carne adovada tastes even better the next day; refrigerate and reheat gently with a splash of broth.
