CARNE ADOBADA: A Hearty Classic Mexican Dish Bursting with Flavor

pork

🥗Healthier: chicken

💰Cheaper: pork shoulder

Chicken is lower in fat, while pork shoulder is more affordable than premium cuts.

adobo sauce

🥗Healthier: homemade adobo with less salt

Homemade adobo can be tailored to reduce sodium.

Cut the pork shoulder into small bite-sized pieces and remove some fat.

Pat the meat dry and sprinkle with salt and black pepper.

Coat the meat with all-purpose flour.

Clean the chile pods by removing stems and seeds, then rinse them.

Cover the cleaned chile pods with water in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

Transfer the boiled chiles to a blender, adding onion, garlic, chipotles in adobo, white vinegar, honey, ground cumin, whole cloves, salt, and 4 cups of water.

Blend until smooth.

Heat a Dutch oven over high heat and melt baking grease, lard, or oil.

Sear the meat in batches until browned on all sides, then remove from the pot.

Return all the seared meat to the pot and add the blended sauce, scraping the bottom to incorporate any browned bits.

Add 2 bay leaves and bring to a simmer.

Cover and transfer to the oven at 325°F for 1 hour and 40 minutes.

After cooking, skim the oil from the top and let the meat rest before serving.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary