New Mexico Adovada Beef – An authentic red chili pork recipe, with boneless pork roast simmered in a deliciously intense spiced sauce. With an easy slow cooker option!
Getting away a bit is a great way to create relaxation and experience a change of scenery… But honestly, my favorite part of traveling is eating new and exciting foods!
On our recent trip to New Mexico, we ate so many wonderful regional dishes, such as red and green “Christmas” chili, blue corn pancakes, Navajo tacos, and deliciously flavored and boldly seasoned marinated meat.
What is the difference between Carne Asada and Carne Adovada?
Both tasty dishes are made with meat, but that’s all they have in common.
Carne asada is a popular Central and South American recipe made with thinly sliced skirt steak or flank steak. The meat is quickly marinated and scorched to give it a wonderful charred flavor that pairs well with bright flavors like lime and chimichurri.
Marinated meat, on the other hand, is a slow-cooked pork dish, intensely seasoned and slightly sweet. The pieces of pork are simmered in a vibrant red chili sauce that is smoked without being too spicy. It is served with rice to absorb all the spicy goodness.
Classic marinated meat recipe
Don’t be scared by the spices here! The bold taste in Carne Adovada is not necessarily spicy. Depending on the chilies you use, New Mexico red chili pork can be bold and smooth with a deep, smoky essence.
And that touch of sweetness comes from a surprise ingredient… raisins! They are a lovely balance for the salty flavors in Adovada’s recipe.
While it takes almost 3 hours to make the traditional New Mexico Adovada Beef, the steps required are anything but complicated, and believe me, patience really pays off here. In addition, the recipe can be easily made in a slow cooker so that it can be without intervention for most of the day.
Try this fantastic and tasty dish for a relaxing and comforting weekend dinner! If you somehow manage to not eat it all in one night (and I wouldn’t blame you if you couldn’t help it), leftovers are great to enjoy for satisfying lunches or as a quick repeat of dinner on weekdays.
Ingredients you need
- water
- Dried New Mexico peppers – or a mixture of Ancho, Guajillo and/or Pasilla Pasas peppers –
- dark raisins are
- Traditional Olive Oil – or Preferred Flavor-Neutral Cooking Oil
- Boneless Pork Roast – cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes (back or pork loin)
- Onion – peeled and
- Garlic cloves – chopped
- Spices – ground cumin, dried oregano, bay leaves Apple
- cider vinegar – to tenderize meat and soften hot chili peppers
- Meat base – or broth
chopped
How to make pork with new red chili (marinated meat
)
First, place a large 6-8 quart pot (or Dutch oven) over high heat. Add the water and bring to a boil. Pluck the stems from the red chili pods and remove the seeds, and then tear the chiles into large pieces. Pro tip: Wear rubber gloves when handling hot chili peppers.
Once the water is boiling, add the dried chili pieces and raisins. Turn off the heat and let the chiles stand for 10 minutes.
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>In the meantime, prepare the remaining ingredients: cut the pork roast into large 1 1/2-inch pieces and season well with salt and pepper. Chop the onion and garlic.
Once the chiles are soft and well hydrated, pour the chilies, raisins and liquid into the blender. Cover the blender and open the vent to let the steam out. Turn on the blender over low heat and mix for 15 seconds. Add the vinegar and meat base. Then turn the blender on high heat and puree until smooth.
Note: Check that your blender can withstand high temperatures. If not, you should let everything cool before mixing.
Put the same pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Once hot, add the pork pieces, onions and garlic. Stir and seal the pork for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown all over.
Pour the red chili sauce back into the pot. Add cumin, oregano and bay leaves.
Get the complete (printable) recipe for marinated meat + VIDEO below. Enjoy!
Cover and cook over medium-low heat for about 2 hours, until pork is tender and sauce is very thick.
Be sure to remove the pork, scraping the bottom of the pot, every 20-30 minutes, to make sure that the pork does not stick to the bottom. Be sure to keep the pot covered after stirring.
Try New Mexico red chili pork, then salt and pepper as needed. If desired, add some chopped cilantro to the pot just before serving.
How to make marinated meat (new red chili pork)
in the slow cooker
While the preparation for the slow cooker marinated meat recipe is similar to the stove method, it allows you to “set it and forget it” once the components are all in the vessel.
First, make the sauce and seal the pork on the stove as directed. Then move all the ingredients to a large slow cooker. Cover and place on low temperature for 8-10 hours or high for 4-5 hours.
Serving Tips
This spicy, spicy, stew-like dish is best served over fluffy white rice
.
Garnish with lime, cilantro, and avocado slices, or serve aside for everyone to add their own ingredients.
Marinated pork is also delicious to use in tacos with flour tortillas or corn tortillas, taco salads with lettuce, burritos, enchiladas, and/or burrito bowls.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I make marinated meat more or less spicy?
The strength of the heat will be determined by the red chili peppers you use. Ancho chiles are the mildest in flavor, Pasilla peppers tend to be moderately hot, and Guajillo and New Mexico Hatch peppers can be quite hot. All of these red chiles have a great smoky flavor that you want at Carne Adovada, so just use any combination that suits your tastes… And, of course, what is available to you. New Mexico chili peppers can be hard to find in some parts of the country.
What kind of chili peppers are New Mexico Hatch Peppers?
What we often call New Mexico or Hatch peppers are actually the same variety of chili pepper also known as California or Anaheim chili. They are long and green, and dry in an intense red color with a robust flavor. However, chili peppers grown in New Mexico, and more specifically in the town of Hatch, are much hotter than those in Anaheim due to the climate in which they are grown. The drier the climate, the hotter the chili. That’s what makes Hatch peppers so special.
What other recipes can I make with cooked Adovada Meat?
Deliciously seasoned stewed beef is great to include in tacos, and much more! Use it to make burritos, taco salads, stuffed tortillas or baked potatoes, or just about any dish you like.
How long does homemade New Mexico red chili beef last?
This is a great recipe to make in advance! Leftover marinated meat will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let the stew cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container for storage in the fridge or freezer.
Looking for more delicious Southwestern recipes?
- Avocado-stuffed Fajita steak
- Tampiquena Carne Verde
- (New Mexico Chile Verde)
- Meat Nachos with Slow Cooker Chili
- Stewed Meat Recipe (With Potatoes)
- Green Chile Steak Tacos
Chili
with
Please refer
to the printable recipe card below for nutritional information, including percentages of calories, carbohydrates, protein, cholesterol, and sodium.
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