Yucatan Pork Stew With Ancho Chiles Recipes

SAVORY AND SWEET PORK STEW WITH ANCHO CHILES

Steps:

• Separate the red onions into rings and place in a small plastic container. Dress with the lime juice and season with salt and pepper. Cover and store in the refrigerator.
• Place the ancho chiles in a pot and cover with the chicken stock. Turn on the heat and warm the stock to reconstitute the chiles, 10 minutes or so.
• Meanwhile, in a large Dutch oven, toast the almonds and peanuts over medium heat until browned. Transfer the nuts to a food processor. Reserve the pot. Add the ancho chiles with the stock to the food processor along with the cocoa powder, cloves, garlic, yellow onions and raisins. Season with salt and pepper. Puree until smooth. (You may need to do this in two batches.)
• Pat the pork dry and heat a thin layer of oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the pork with salt and pepper, then brown in two batches, adding more oil between batches as needed. Return all the pork to the pot and pour the ancho sauce over it. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the pork is very tender, 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 1/2 hours (depending on how large you cubed the meat).
• Warm or char the tortillas. Serve the stew with the lime-pickled onions, crumbled cheese and the tortillas.
• Cook's Note: If you are not serving the pork immediately, cool and store it in the refrigerator. Reheat over medium heat.

PORK AND ANCHO STEW

Steps:

• Add the anchos to a medium pot with the chicken stock, and bring to a simmer. Heat until the chiles are softened, about 15 minutes.
• Pat the meat dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat a large Dutch oven with the oil over medium-high heat. Brown the meat in batches and remove to a plate. Add more oil, as necessary. Add the garlic, carrots, bay leaves, onions, jalapenos, cumin, cloves and some salt and pepper. Cook partially covered for a few minutes.
• Puree the anchos and stock together. Add the ancho stock to the Dutch oven with the cinnamon stick, lime juice, tomatoes (mash up the tomatoes a bit). Stir in the cilantro and return the pork to the Dutch oven. Stir, cover and cook over low heat 2 1/2 to 3 hours until very tender, stirring occasionally. Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Cool completely and store in the refrigerator for a make-ahead meal.
• Reheat over medium heat. Serve with rice and jalapenos.

YUCATAN PORK STEW WITH ANCHO CHILES

Steps:

• In a very large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the vegetable oil until shimmering. Season the pork with salt and black pepper and add half of it to the casserole. Cook over moderate heat, turning, until browned all over, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pork to a plate. Brown the remaining pork. Return all of the pork to the casserole along with any accumulated juices. Stir in the onions, garlic, carrots, chiles, bay leaves, cloves, lime juice and chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes, nestling them into the liquid. Cover and cook over low heat until the pork is very tender and the carrots are cooked through, about 3 hours. Discard the bay leaves and stir in the cilantro. Serve with rice and sliced jalapeños. Make Ahead The stew can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat before serving.

YUCATAN PORK CHILE

Steps:

• In a heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid on medium-high heat sear the pork in the oil or lard, browning the meat. Transfer the meat to a bowl with a slotted spoon or a pair of tongs. Add the onion and peppers to the pot and cook until the onions are caramelized to a nice golden brown, stir frequently. Add the garlic and continue for 2 more minutes. Add the yucca, tomatillos, orange juice, beer and cumin. Bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer, add the pork, and cover. Stew the meat, stirring and skimming off fat occasionally for 2 hours. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, stir in the cilantro. The stew should be thick. Add water if it gets too dry. Top with a dollop of fresh Mexican sour cream, a small spoonful of tomato salsa and garnish by sticking fried corn tortilla shards dusted with chile powder and salt into the center of the cream and salsa and lay a few sprigs of fresh cilantro over them.