Yucatan Pork Stew with Ancho Chilies and Lime Juice
This recipe was taken from the magazine, "The Week".It had been some time since I tried out a recipe with a new ingredient. Although I was unable to find dried ancho chilies, I used the fresh poblano. This is not a spicy stew, and the house smelled magnificent-something reminded me of Thai food, although it did not taste that way. I'm pretty sure the dried chilies will make a real difference in the end product.
From the "Food Lover's Companion" - This broad, dried chile is 3 to 4 inches long and a deep reddish brown; it ranges in flavor from mild to pungent. The rich, slightly fruit-flavored ancho is the sweetest of the dried chiles. In its fresh, green state, the ancho is called a poblano chile.
1/4 c. vegetable oil
4 1/2 pound pork shoulder (also known as a picnic cut; the recipe calls for cutting it into 2 inch pieces, however it took WAY too long and ended up pretty much falling apart on its own during the cooking process. I would recommend trimming of as much of the fat as you can.)
salt and ground pepper
2 large white onions, cut into 1/2 inch slices
8 garlic cloves, smashed
1 lb. carrots, cut diagonally into 2-inch lengths
3 ancho chiles, seeded and cut into very thin strips with scissors (I could not find the dried anchos, so I used the fresh poblanos instead)
3 bay leaves
pinch of ground cloves
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
6 cups chicken stock
6 plum tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
2 tbsp. chopped cilantro
Steamed white rice, for serving
In very large enameled cast-iron casserole (I do not have one and make all of my soups and stews in a large dutch oven), heat vegetable oil until shimmering. Season pork with salt and pepper; add half to casserole. Cook over moderate heat, turning, until browned all over, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pork to plate. Brown remaining pork. Return all of pork to casserole with accumulated juices. Stir in onions, garlic, carrots, chilies, bay leaves, cloves, lime juice and chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper; bring to boil. Add tomatoes. Cover and cook over low heat until pork is very tender and carrots cooked through, about 3 hours. Discard bay leaves and stir in cilantro. Serves 8.
My two cents on the recipe: I would leave the pot uncovered for a portion of the last hour of cooking and make sure that it simmers. Although Mom and David liked this meal, I would prefer that it be more stew-like, and I think that maybe cooking it down some would help.
From the "Food Lover's Companion" - This broad, dried chile is 3 to 4 inches long and a deep reddish brown; it ranges in flavor from mild to pungent. The rich, slightly fruit-flavored ancho is the sweetest of the dried chiles. In its fresh, green state, the ancho is called a poblano chile.
1/4 c. vegetable oil
4 1/2 pound pork shoulder (also known as a picnic cut; the recipe calls for cutting it into 2 inch pieces, however it took WAY too long and ended up pretty much falling apart on its own during the cooking process. I would recommend trimming of as much of the fat as you can.)
salt and ground pepper
2 large white onions, cut into 1/2 inch slices
8 garlic cloves, smashed
1 lb. carrots, cut diagonally into 2-inch lengths
3 ancho chiles, seeded and cut into very thin strips with scissors (I could not find the dried anchos, so I used the fresh poblanos instead)
3 bay leaves
pinch of ground cloves
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
6 cups chicken stock
6 plum tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
2 tbsp. chopped cilantro
Steamed white rice, for serving
In very large enameled cast-iron casserole (I do not have one and make all of my soups and stews in a large dutch oven), heat vegetable oil until shimmering. Season pork with salt and pepper; add half to casserole. Cook over moderate heat, turning, until browned all over, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pork to plate. Brown remaining pork. Return all of pork to casserole with accumulated juices. Stir in onions, garlic, carrots, chilies, bay leaves, cloves, lime juice and chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper; bring to boil. Add tomatoes. Cover and cook over low heat until pork is very tender and carrots cooked through, about 3 hours. Discard bay leaves and stir in cilantro. Serves 8.
My two cents on the recipe: I would leave the pot uncovered for a portion of the last hour of cooking and make sure that it simmers. Although Mom and David liked this meal, I would prefer that it be more stew-like, and I think that maybe cooking it down some would help.
Labels: recipe
posted by ellen @ 2:18 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home