Spicy Pork With Guajillo Salsa Puerco Enchilado Recipes

PUERCO ENCHILADO TACOS

Steps:

• Make the salsa: Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the chiles, tomato, 2 cups water and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium; simmer until the chiles are soft and tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
• Remove the bay leaf, then transfer the vegetables and about 1 cup cooking liquid to a blender and puree until smooth, adding more cooking liquid if necessary. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve back into the pan; cook until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
• Make the tacos: Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy saute pan (do not use a nonstick pan) over medium-high heat. Add the potato and saute until golden, 8 to 10 minutes; transfer to a bowl. Add the pork to the pan, season with pepper and sear until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Add 1 cup of the prepared salsa and return the potato to the pan; cover and simmer until the pork is fork-tender, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Serve in tortillas; top with more salsa, cilantro, onion and radishes.

SPICY PULLED PORK

Steps:

• Mix flour, chili powder, paprika, cumin, adobo seasoning, and cayenne pepper in a large bowl. Add pork and toss until coated.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; fry pork in batches until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer browned pork to a slow cooker.
• Cook and stir onion and garlic in the same skillet until vegetables are fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir tomatoes, barbeque sauce, brown sugar, and hot sauce into onion mixture and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour sauce over pork.
• Cook on low for 5 to 6 hours. Transfer pork to a plate and shred with 2 forks. Return pork to slow cooker and stir. Continue to cook, uncovered, until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes.

TACOS DE PUERCO ENCHIPOTLADO CON SALSA DE JITOMATE PASADO (SPICY CHIPOTLE PORK TACOS WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATO SALSA)

Steps:

• Butterflying and marinating the pork: Lay 1 tenderloin on your cutting board and cut it in half. Now, with a sharp knife, make a horizontal cut through 1 half (you'll be cutting parallel with the board) from one long side to within 1/4- inch of the other. This will allow you to fold open the meat like a book, utilizing that 1/4-inch uncut side as a hinge. Using a meat pounder or heavy mallet, pound the pork to between 1/4 to 1/8-inch thickness.
• In a food processor or blender, thoroughly puree the chipotles and all the canning sauce. With a pastry or basting brush, liberally paint the meat on both sides with the pureed chipotles. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to 24 hours). Repeat with the other tenderloin pieces. (There will be considerably more chipotle puree than you need; cover and refrigerate the leftover for up to 2 weeks and use it to marinate other meat, fish, poultry or vegetables.)
• Soaking the sun-dried tomatoes: In a small saucepan bring the orange juice just to a boil. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, stir well, cover and remove from the heat. Let stand, stirring once or twice, until softened, about 20 minutes.
• Salsa: Scrape the soaked tomatoes and the juice into a food processor or blender, and measure in 1 tablespoon of chipotle puree. Pulse the processor until the tomatoes are rather finely chopped (not pureed). Scrape into a small serving bowl. Rinse the chopped onion under cold water, shake off the excess liquid and add it to the salsa along with the olives, cilantro and the lime juice. Stir everything together, then taste and season with salt, usually about 1/4 teaspoon. Adjust the consistency to that of an easily spoonable salsa with additional juice or water if needed. Set aside at room temperature while you cook the meat.
• Searing the meat: Set a large (12-inch) heavy well-seasoned or non-stick skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Add the lard, oil or bacon drippings, brushing or spreading it around to evenly coat the surface. (If using a non-stick surface, oil the meat instead of the pan.) When the oil is very hot (it'll just begin to smoke), lay on one of the marinated meat pieces in a single layer. Sear on one side until beginning to brown (2 to 3 minutes), flip it over, and sear the other side about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet in a single layer and keep warm in the oven. Sear the remaining meat and add to the baking sheet.
• Chop or slice the meat into smallish pieces and scoop into a warm serving bowl. Set on the table along with the salsa and warm tortillas, and your meal is ready.

SHRIMP ENCHILADAS WITH GUAJILLO SALSA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Heat the butter in a heavy medium saute pan over high heat. Add the garlic and saute 10 seconds. Add the shrimp and saute until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and let cool slightly.
• In a medium saucepan, heat the Guajillo Salsa over medium heat until warm.
• In a separate medium saute pan over medium-high heat, pour enough vegetable oil to come 1-inch up the sides of the pan. Fry the tortillas until slightly golden but still pliable. Then transfer to the pan with the salsa, turning the tortillas in the salsa until fully coated.
• Transfer the salsa-coated tortillas to a baking sheet (it's kind of messy so doing it on a baking sheet keeps it clean). Add a couple tablespoons of sauteed shrimp and a sprinkle of Oaxaca cheese. Roll up like a cigar and place in an 11-by-7-inch glass baking dish. Repeat with 7 or 8 tortillas, fitting snuggly into the dish.
• Pour the remaining sauce over the prepared enchiladas (There should be some sauce left in the saucepan to top the enchiladas. If necessary, whisk in 2 tablespoons of water or chicken broth to increase the yield.) Top with the remaining Oaxaca cheese.
• Bake in the oven until the cheese melts, about 20 minutes. Drizzle with crema and serve.
• In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, place 4 cups water, the guajillo chilies, garlic cloves and white onion and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer until the chiles are soft and tender, about 25 minutes. Transfer the boiled vegetables, the tomato and 2 cups of the boiling liquid to a large blender and set aside to cool before blending. Process until smooth. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and a pinch of black pepper.
• In a medium, heavy saucepan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Strain the pureed guajillo salsa into the pan. Add the bay leaf and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding additional salt and pepper as desired.
• Reserve for enchiladas and pork.

GUAJILLO SALSA

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, place 4 cups water, the guajillo chilies, garlic cloves and white onion and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer until the chiles are soft and tender, about 25 minutes. Transfer the boiled vegetables, the tomato and 2 cups of the boiling liquid to a large blender and set aside to cool before blending. Process until smooth. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and a pinch of black pepper.
• In a medium, heavy saucepan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Strain the pureed guajillo salsa into the pan. Add the bay leaf and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding additional salt and pepper as desired.

SALSA BORRACHA

Steps:

• Cook the chiles in a dry saute pan over high heat turning constantly until slightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and when cool enough to handle, cut them in half and remove the seeds. Tear them into small pieces and add them to a blender.
• Add the orange juice, tequila, garlic and olive oil to the blender. Puree the salsa and add it to the same saute pan used to toast the chiles. Cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season the salsa with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cool completely. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with crumbled anejo cheese.

ASADO DE PUERCO (MEXICAN PORK STEW)

Steps:

• Combine pork cubes, 1/2 cup water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a Dutch oven. Cover and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly, until water evaporates. Continue cooking until the pork browns in its rendered fat, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cut tops off the dried chiles and remove seeds. Heat chiles in a large skillet over low heat until they start to soften. Do not toast. Place chiles in a bowl of hot water and soak for 20 minutes.
• Remove pork and set aside. Do not wash, wipe out, or clean the Dutch oven.
• Transfer chiles to a blender, reserving soaking water. Add cilantro, chicken bouillon, peppercorns, garlic, cinnamon stick, Mexican oregano, thyme, cumin seeds, bay leaves, and cloves. Pour in 1 cup soaking water and blend until smooth. Add 1 more cup soaking water, season with salt, and blend until completely smooth.
• Melt lard in the Dutch oven. Carefully add blended chile mixture and scrape up all browned bits. Bring to a boil and add pork. Reduce heat and cover partially, leaving about 1 inch open. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened and reaches the desired consistency, 15 to 20 minutes.

GUAJILLO SPICED PORK AND POTATOES (PUERCO Y PAPAS AL GUAJILLO)

Steps:

• Spread the potatoes over the bottom of a slow cooker and top with the pork.
• Set a medium (8 inch) skillet over medium heat. When it is hot, toast the chili pieces a few at a time, pressing them against the hot surface with a spatula until they are aromatic and lightened in color underneath - about 10 seconds per side. (If you see more than a whiff of smoke, they are burning). Transfer the toasted chilis to a blender jar.
• Add the tomatoes with their juice, garlic, oregano, Worcestershire sauce, a generous 1 ½ tsp salt and 1 ½ cups water. Blend until as smooth as possible. Strain the mixture through a medium mesh strainer directly into the slow cooker, over the meat and potatoes. Stir to mix thoroughly.
• Set the lid in place and slow cook on high for 6 hours.
• Gently stir the stew - the sauce may look slightly broken, but it will come together with gentle stirring. If the sauce seems too thick, stir in a little water. Taste, and add more salt, if needed.
• Serve in bowls, sprinkled with the cilantro and onion. A stack of warm corn tortillas is the perfect accompaniment.
• Variations:.
• Pork and Potatoes al Guajillo as a Soft Taco Filling:.
• Cook the dish as directed above, but cube the potatoes rather than leaving them in larger wedges. Coarsely shred the pork with two forks. Leave the sauce quite thick. Serve with a dozen warm tortillas for everyone to make soft tacos.