Carne Adovada Recipe

Close up of Carne Adovada in a round dish.

4.67 from 3 votes

Carne Adovada is made with tender pork in a homemade dried chile sauce that uses a combination of ancho, pasilla, chipotle, and guajillo peppers for a flavor-packed meal that will knock your socks off!

Prep Time5

Cook Time3

Total Time3 5

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: servings

Calories: 312kcal

Author: Amy Nash

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons oil, divided
3 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 1 to 1½-inch chunks
1 medium onion, chopped
1 dried bay leaf

Sauce

4 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed, (about 1½ ounces)
4 pasilla or New Mexico chiles, stems and seeds removed, (or a combination)
12 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed, (about 2.5 ounces)
2-3 cups chicken broth or water
8 cloves garlic, divided
2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
¼ cup white vinegar
2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
¾ teaspoon dried thyme
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1½ Tablespoons kosher salt

For Serving

Cooked rice
Pinto beans
Lime wedges
Chopped cilantro
Warm corn tortillas
Diced white onion

Instructions

Cut the pork into bite-size pieces. Season the pork chunks generously with salt and pepper and set aside.
Remove and discard the stems and seeds from the dried chiles. Tear or roughly chop the chile peppers into medium-size pieces, roughly ½-inch wide.
Toast the torn chiles in a skillet over medium heat while stirring for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Transfer to a medium pot and fill with enough of the 2-3 cups chicken broth or water to cover the chiles.
Bring it to a boil, then cover and remove it from the heat. Let the chiles soak for 10 minutes. Do not discard the cooking liquid - you will need 2 cups of this liquid for the sauce.
Transfer the soaked chiles to a blender using a slotted spoon. Add 1 cup of the chile-infused water along with 4 garlic cloves, the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, vinegar, oregano, thyme, brown sugar, ground cumin, and salt. Blend well until smooth. Add an additional 1 cup of the chile liquid and blend.
Heat 2 Tablespoons of oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-duty oven-safe pan over medium-high heat. Work in batches to sear the pork shoulder chunks on all sides until browned, adding additional oil as needed. Transfer the seared pork to a plate and set aside.
Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the same pan and sauté the onion for 5-7 minutes until softened and translucent. Add the remaining 4 cloves of minced garlic during the last 30 seconds until fragrant.
Return the pork to the Dutch oven with the sauteed onion and add the blended chili sauce and bay leaf. Mix everything together until it is evenly distributed.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 2 to 2½ hours until the pork is fork tender and done. This can also be done in a 325°F oven.
Serve in a bowl with white rice, warm tortillas, and/or pinto beans. Garnish with chopped cilantro and lime wedges.

Notes

Adapted from Isabel Eats and Serious Eats.

Storage

Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop. If it has thickened, you may need to stir in some extra broth or water.
Freeze: You can freeze this dish for up to 3 months when stored in a freezer-safe container or potioned in Ziploc bags. Defrost in the refrigerator before reheating.

Nutrition