New Mexico-Style Carne Adovada with White Rice

The complete recipe

New Mexican · 6 servings

Prep: 45 min · Cooking: 200 min · Resting / marinating: 10 min · Estimated total: 255 min

Recipe background and adaptations

The red-chile pork follows New Mexican technique. This adaptation browns and braises without an overnight marinade, uses explicit home-kitchen measurements, and adds plain rice as a serving option. It has not been kitchen-tested by mommy.me.

Equipment

• 5-6 quart oven-safe Dutch oven with lid
• saucepan with tight-fitting lid
• blender
• fine-mesh sieve
• tongs
• knife and separate cutting board for raw pork
• instant-read food thermometer

Ingredients

Red-chile pork

• 3 lb boneless pork shoulder, excess surface fat removed, cut into 1.5-inch cubes
• 3 oz dried New Mexico red chile pods, stems and most seeds removed
• 4 cups just-boiled water, for softening the chiles; discard after soaking
• 3 cups fresh water, plus up to 1 cup more if the sauce needs loosening
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
• 1.5 tsp fine salt, divided; taste cooked sauce before adding more
• 1 tbsp neutral cooking oil or lard

Rice for serving

• 1.5 cups uncooked long-grain white rice
• 3 cups water for the rice; use the rice package's ratio if different
• 0.5 tsp fine salt for the rice

How the timing fits together

Budget about four hours, with extra time if the pork is not yet tender. Prepare the chile sauce first, brown and braise the pork, then cook rice once the pork is fork-tender. Keep the braise gently hot while the rice cooks and rests.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Soften the red chiles

   Wear gloves if sensitive to chile. Rinse the cleaned pods and cover with the 4 cups just-boiled water in a heatproof bowl. Let stand 20-25 minutes until pliable; drain and discard this water.

2. Blend a smooth sauce

   Blend the softened pods with garlic, oregano, 1 teaspoon of the pork salt and 3 cups fresh water. Let hot ingredients cool enough for your blender's instructions; never seal steaming liquid in a blender. Strain into a bowl, pressing through the pulp and discarding tough skins.

3. Heat the oven and prepare pork

   Heat the oven to 300 F. Pat the 1.5-inch pork cubes dry and season with the remaining half teaspoon pork salt. Keep the raw-pork board and utensils separate from other ingredients.

4. Brown in batches

   Warm the oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown pork in two or three uncrowded batches, turning to color several sides, about 12-18 minutes altogether. Transfer browned pieces to a plate; do not taste the still-undercooked meat.

5. Start the covered braise

   Return pork and its juices to the pot. Add the red-chile sauce and scrape the bottom gently. If needed, add a little of the extra fresh water so sauce surrounds the cubes. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and transfer to the oven.

6. Cook for tenderness, not just a timer

   Braise about 2.5-3 hours, checking and stirring after 90 minutes. Add small splashes of fresh water if the sauce becomes dry. The pork is ready when a fork slides in easily and a cube separates with gentle pressure. Check internal temperature with a thermometer; continue cooking if either safety or tenderness is not reached. Tough shoulder may need longer.

7. Keep the pork hot; start the rice

   Once pork is tender, keep the covered pot at a very gentle simmer on the stovetop. In the saucepan combine rice, its 3 cups water and half teaspoon salt. Follow the package ratio if different. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low.

8. Steam, then rest the rice

   Cook rice at a low simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or the package time, until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and rest covered 10 minutes. If grains remain firm, add a splash of water and cook a little longer before resting. Fluff with a fork.

9. Finish the sauce and serve

   During the rice rest, uncover the pork briefly if its sauce needs thickening, or loosen with a splash of fresh water. Taste only the fully cooked sauce and adjust salt if needed. Spoon pork and red-chile sauce alongside the rice. Serve six modest dinner portions.

Food safety

Use a thermometer, not color alone. Whole-cut pork must reach at least 145 F followed by a three-minute rest; this shoulder braise needs considerably more cooking for tenderness. Prevent raw-pork juices from contacting ready-to-eat food. Wash hands and clean boards and utensils after handling raw meat. Undercooked meat can cause foodborne illness. Reheat leftovers to 165 F.

Ingredient notes and variations

• Use mild New Mexico pods for a gentler version. Blended American chili powder is not an equivalent substitute.
• Rice is included in these quantities and steps. Tortillas or other sides would require their own ingredients and instructions.
• This is a longer-cooking dinner, not a 30-minute recipe. Braising time is an estimate; tenderness determines when the pork is ready.

Culinary references

This is a home adaptation with independently written instructions, not a reproduction of a publisher's kitchen-tested recipe.

• New Mexico Farmers' Marketing Association: carne adovada
• New Mexico Magazine: Centennial Cookbook carne adovada
• FDA: safe food handling and minimum temperatures