Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Fall Apart Tender Carne Adovada

A classic New Mexican dish featuring seared pork slowly simmered in a rich, flavorful red chile adobo sauce until fall-apart tender.

  • Total Time: 3 hours
  • Yield: 8 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 5 lbs pork butt or shoulder, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 10–12 dried New Mexico red chile pods (hot, medium, or mild)
  • 4–5 garlic cloves
  • 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2–2 1/2 cups reserved chile soaking water
  • 1–2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (optional for smoky heat)
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Instructions

  1. Cut pork into 2-inch pieces, season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
  2. Remove stems and seeds from chile pods, rinse, and soak in boiling water for about 15 minutes until softened. Reserve soaking water.
  3. In a blender, combine softened chiles, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt, chipotle peppers, honey, and white wine vinegar. Add 2 to 2 1/2 cups of the reserved chile water and blend until smooth.
  4. Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown pork pieces in batches until golden on all sides. Remove and set aside.
  5. In the same pot, sauté chopped onion until softened, then add garlic and cook until fragrant.
  6. Pour the blended chile sauce into the pot, scraping up browned bits to deglaze.
  7. Return pork to the pot, add bay leaves, and stir to coat pork with sauce.
  8. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 2 to 3 hours until pork is fall-apart tender and sauce thickens to a ketchup-like consistency.
  9. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Notes

Using good quality dried New Mexico chiles is key to authentic flavor. Slow simmering the pork ensures it becomes tender and absorbs the rich chile sauce. The sauce can be adjusted for heat by varying the type and amount of chiles used.

  • Author: Olivia Bennett
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
  • Method: Main Dish
  • Cuisine: New Mexican

Nutrition

  • Calories: 450
  • Sugar: 3
  • Sodium: 600
  • Fat: 30
  • Saturated Fat: 10
  • Unsaturated Fat: 20
  • Trans Fat: 0
  • Carbohydrates: 10
  • Fiber: 4
  • Protein: 35
  • Cholesterol: 120