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© Copyright 1995-2023, Clay Irving <clay@panix.com>, Manhattan Beach, CA USA
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Recipe from: Chef #515278
Servings: 6
One of Rick Bayless's recipes that I slightly adapted. The flavor of the sauce is exceptional!
2 pounds pork shoulder
8 dried New Mexico chiles
½ onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ cup oil
salt, as needed
ground black pepper, as needed
water, as needed
Wash the pork, remove excess fat, cube and set aside. Take the New Mexico chilies (or use dried California chilies which are also mild) and remove the stems, veins, and seeds. Break the chilies into big pieces. Heat a nonstick fryng pan over medium heat. When hot, add ⅓ of the chilies and cook just until they start to change color, pressing down occasionally with a spatula. Flip over the chilies and repeat on the second side. Remove. Repeat with the last two batches of the chilies.
Put the toasted chilies into a pie plate, fill part-way full with water and top with a salad or other smallish plate. Let the chilies soak for 30 to 45 minutes. Once the dried chilies are done soaking, put them into a food processor or blender along with the onion, garlic, oregano and cumin. Add some of the soaking liquid (at least one cup or more) and purée. Strain through a wire mesh. Set the red chili sauce aside.
Meanwhile, in the same nonstick frying pan, heat it over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot add ¼ cup oi and when the oil is warm, add half of the meat cubes. Use a spatula to turn over the meat as it cooks. When the meat gets brown spots, remove the first batch, and repeat with the remaining meat cubes. Add all of the meat back into the frying pan. Add the red chili sauce and cook until the sauce has thickened.
Next, put the meat and sauce into a medium-large size saucepan. Add 1½ to 2 cups water. Bring the liquid to a boil, cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook about one hour or until the meat is very tender and the sauce is thick.
Add salt and pepper to taste. If the sauce is too runny because there is too much liquid, increase heat to high and boil away the liquid unti the sauce thickens. You can also add 1 to 2 tablespoons masa to the sauce to thicken it as it boils. If desired, you can reduce the amount of meat to 1 to 1½ pounds and add one 16 ounce can drained pinto beans the last 15 minutes of cooking.