Carne Adobada is an AMAZING Mexican Comfort Food you MUST try!
Carne Adobada is a classic Mexican dish of tender, juicy chunks of pork cooked low and slow in a mild red chili sauce that has the consistency of gravy. This pork stew It is very much like a pork version of famous Texas chili or Chile Colorado, where pork is the star rather than beef. You can enjoy the recipe as is, but it is popularly served with corn tortillas or flour tortillas as tacos and burritos with all manner of burrito/taco fixings. It is also delicious served over rice!
Things to know:
What is adobada meat in English?
It’s not about the type of meat, it’s about the cooking method. “Carne adovada” translates to “marinated meat” – it doesn’t matter if it’s pork or beef, (typically pork)it’s that it’s marinated in red chile before cooking. “Chile con carne” = “chile with meat”.
What is the difference between carne asada and carne adobada?
Carne asada, typically grilled beef, brings smoky simplicity with citrusy marinades and charred perfection, perfect for tacos or burritos. Carne adobada, on the other hand, is all about boldness—marinated pork soaked in red chili, garlic, and spices, then slow-cooked for tender, spicy richness.
What exactly is carne adobada?
Similar to chile con carne, carne adovada is a New Mexico dish offering chunks of pork shoulder braised in a base made with an assortment of chiles.
Is adobada the same as carnitas?
Both refer to pork that has been marinated in a mix of red chiles, vinegar, and spices. Al pastor is cooked on a rotating vertical spit (trompo) while adobada is cooked on a grill or braised on the stove. Carnitas is also braised pork but without the adobo marinade and chopped up into smaller chunks.
What is the flavor of carne adobada?
Unlike al pastor or carnitas, carne adovada gets its signature flavor from red chile, not sweetness or citrus. And unlike adobada in parts of Mexico, which may use vinegar, tomatoes, or achiote, New Mexico carne adovada is all about pure chile flavor. It’s earthy, fiery, and unforgettable.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds pork shoulder pork butt, cut into bite sized chunks
2 T olive oil
FOR THE RED CHILI GRAVY
3 T olive oil divided.
1 large onion chopped
1 large red bell pepper, shopped
1 poblano pepper chopped
2 small jalapeño peppers (de-stemmed and de-seeded if you want it mild) chopped (optional, for more heat either do not de-seed, or use a serrano pepper for hotter)
6 dried guajjlo peppers de-stemmed and de-seeded
2 dried ancho peppers de-stemmed and de-seeded.
2 dried mulatto peppers de-stemmed and de-seeded
about 1/4 cup dark red chili powder, or ancho, pasilla, or both enough to give you 3/4 cup total after grinding the dried. toasted chiles (we used chipotle)
2 T Spiceology’s achiote powder
6 cloves garlic minced
2 T flour
3 cups chicken broth (We used Better than Bouillon Adobo base)
Juice from 1 1/2 orange
1 t Mexican oregano
1 T coriander
1 T cumin
1 1/2 T honey
1. Heat a dutch oven on medium high heat for about 5 minutes.
2. Lightly toast your dried chiles until they become aromatic (about 30-60 seconds).
3. Tear or chop up the chiles and add to a spice grinder or food processor and blend until the pieces no longer appear to be getting smaller.
4. Add your blended chiles to a measuring cup and add the chili powder until you reach 3/4 cup. Set aside.
5. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven to medium-high heat.
6. Pat the chopped pork dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper and brown the pork a couple minutes per side. You may need to do this in batches. Remove the pork and set it aside for now.
7. Heat 1 more tablespoon oil in the same pot and add the onion, jalapeños, poblano and bell pepper. Stir cook them down for 5 minutes to soften.
8. Add the garlic and cook another minute, stirring, until the garlic blooms and becomes fragrant.
9. Add the remaining 2 T olive oil and stir in the 2 T of flour. Cook, stirring constantly for 5 minutes to cook out the raw flour flavor. You can cook stirring longer if you’d like.
10. Add the chicken broth, orange juice, chili powder/dried chiles mixture, oregano, coriander, cumin, achiote and a bit more salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 5 minutes to thicken the gravy and develop the flavors.
11. Return the browned pork to the pot bring the pot to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, then cook the entire pot of pork in the gravy for 2 hours, or until the pork is fall-apart tender. The sauce should be nice and thick, like a chili gravy.
12. Stir in the vinegar and honey. Season with a bit of salt and pepper. Taste and evaluate the need to add more honey, vinegar and/or salt and pepper.
13, Serve with tortillas (flour or corn as preferred) as a taco or burrito or serve over rice. ENJOY!
Equipment used:
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