Happy Holy Week and Easter for those of you who celebrate it. With Easter signaling spring, what could be more fun than barbecuing? There are a few places left in our always popular Barbecue class set for April 8 at 5 PM, where we make all kinds of barbecue sauces and barbecue meats and seafoods and the rubs to use with them. The class is still on a 10% off sale, just click here to see the dishes we will be creating.
After the usual Easter fare of either ham or lamb and all the trimmings, I thought you might enjoy a great, yummy spicy dish, Carne Adobado . I have placed the essential ingredient, caribe chile on a 20% off sale until April 3, 2021. There are some very important techniques to creating the fabulous flavors that are so special to Carne.
First and foremost, ALWAYS use pork shoulder, cut into one inch thick or less pieces or steaks. (If at all possible either buy boneless pork shoulder or have the butcher slice the shoulder into bone-in steaks. The other techniques are to marinate it overnight before roasting or at the very least, allow the pork shoulder steaks to marinate at least two hours before roasting.
Roast it covered in a 350F oven for 30 minutes, then uncover, reduce the heat to 325F and roast until fork tender...usually about 2 to 3 hours., turning the top layer after about an hour of roasting. When cool enough to handle,pull or cut the pork into pieces the size of a quarter and return to the sauce in the roasting pan. If the sauce is still the consistency of a thin gravy, just stir the pieces until well coated and place in a 250F oven for at least 30 minutes or more. If there is little or no liquid sauce in the bottom of the roasting pan, then stir in water to make a sauce and stir to cover the pieces of meat. In this case cover the roasting pan with a lid or foil.
You may serve the carne as is as an entree or use it as a filling in burritos, tacos or with refried pinto beans, grated cheese and chopped onion for a special burrito or chimichanga. Carne is great as a breakfast meat and very special when used like corned beef hash to nest eggs in and steam, topped with grated cheese and chopped onion. Carne freezes quite well in freezer weight bags. I hope you make some and enjoy the results!
We still have some spaces left in our June 15-21, 2021. Oaxaca tour, featured last week in our blog as well as our April 23-25, 2021 weekend class. The next day class is Perfect Pies on May 6. For more classes go to our calendar. More will soon be posted as Covid languishes.
Here's my favorite Carne Adobado recipe. Our spices are the freshest and p;urest and make for the best flavors.
This is one of the best, if not the very best-tasting, pork creations from northern New Mexico. Traceable back to Conquistador days, this dish has somehow never gained favor outside of New Mexico. I think it is because crushed caribe chiles are hard to find outside the area. I always make a full five and one half pound recipe because I like to have lots available for burritos, tacos, and enchiladas, or to serve over or under rice, beans or eggs.
Yield: 10-12 servings
1/2 cup crushed caribe chile
1/4 cup ground mild chile
1/4 cup ground hot chile
3 garlic cloves
2 Tablespoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
2 teaspoons salt
4 cups water
5-1/2 pounds bone-in pork shoulder, cut into ½ inch thick chops (trimmed so as to keep a narrow layer of fat around the edges)
Reprinted with permission from Jane Butel’s Southwestern Kitchen.
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