Carne Adovada

Ingredients

• 3 ounces dried New Mexico red chiles (pods) – stems removed, seeds shaken out
• 3 cups water – boiling (for soaking chiles)
• 6 cloves garlic – peeled
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1.5 teaspoons Mexican oregano
• 0.5 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2.5 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons lard
• 3 pounds pork shoulder – boneless, cut into 1.5-inch cubes

Instructions

1. Stem and seed the dried New Mexico red chiles. Toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat, pressing with a spatula, until fragrant and pliable, 1–2 minutes per side; do not scorch.
2. Place the toasted chiles in a heatproof bowl and pour 3 cups boiling water over them to submerge. Soak until fully softened, 20–30 minutes; reserve the soaking liquid.
3. Transfer the softened chiles to a blender with 1.5 cups of the chile soaking liquid, garlic, apple cider vinegar, Mexican oregano, ground cumin, and kosher salt. Blend on high until perfectly smooth, 1–2 minutes, scraping down as needed.
4. Warm the lard in a saucepan over medium heat. Pour in the blended chile puree and cook, stirring, until thickened slightly and brick red, 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to lukewarm, 10–15 minutes.
5. Combine the pork shoulder and cooled chile sauce in a nonreactive bowl, turning to coat every piece. Cover and refrigerate to marinate, 8–12 hours.
6. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Transfer the pork and all its marinade to a heavy Dutch oven, add the remaining 1.5 cups reserved chile soaking liquid, and stir to combine.
7. Cover tightly and bake until the pork is fork-tender and the sauce is richly flavored, 2.5–3 hours, stirring once halfway; the meat should yield easily when pressed with a spoon.
8. If the sauce is thinner than you like, uncover and simmer on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring, until it clings to the meat, 5–10 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste and serve hot.