Carne Guisada en Salsa de Chile Rojo (Pork stewed in Red Chile Sauce)

I pride myself of surviving the biting cold of New England. But I wouldn?t have done it without the warm winter dishes I?ve come to love during the cold months. During these months soups, risotto, pasta and stewed meat are popular in our household. These dishes bring warmth and hominess that our chaotic household needs. Lately I have been introducing mildly spicy foods to my child ?lately I have been opening her eyes to New Mexican food. I have this fear that one day my child may only want food from a fast food burger joint. So my main agenda with my child is to introduce her to many types of food before she figures out that these fast food places exist. Hopefully by then she would agree with us that there are far more interesting foods out there than just burgers and fries.



One of my proudest moments as a parent is her screaming for prosciutto as we wait in the deli counter. I was a happy mommy with a child in a tantrum for prosciutto. It puts a smile on my face that my child, as young as she is, appreciates the food that I had only come to know later in life.



My husband came home from a business trip to New Mexico not long ago and surprised me with dried red chile pods. He really knows me well. The best gifts are the ones that warms my heart through my stomach!!! I was ecstatic! It was the perfect homecoming gift. So this week I decided to stew some pork in red chile sauce.



It is a two part recipe. First you have to prepare the red chile sauce, and second, stew the meat in the sauce until it is soft and fork tender. You can use beef if you prefer it over pork. I have tried them in both ways and they both come out excellent. If you are worried about the intensity of the heat, don?t be weary; you can adjust it by the amount of sauce you add into the meat when stewing.



Also, the heat of the New Mexican Chiles is not so intense, unlike the other blistering hot peppers I?ve come to know. Their bold flavor makes up for the heat. This is not some sort of spicy dish that is all about heat and no flavor. The red chiles from New Mexico have a deep rustic aroma and taste in them that you will never find in other chiles from around the world.



The Red Chile Sauce

10 oz New Mexican Dried Red chiles pods (your preference of mild, medium or spicy)

8 cups of water

3-4 tbsp minced garlic

½ tsp dried oregano,

optional Salt and Pepper

6 tbsp Grapeseed oil or extra light olive oil (no harm in using vegetable oil as well, if that?s all you have)

6 tbsp flour



Prepare the chile pods by taking off the stems and seeds of each one of them. You can use a paring knife to slice open the pods, making it easier to remove the seeds and ribs of the peppers. You can reserve some of these parts, if you later choose to enhance the heat of your sauce.



Optional: If you want to intensify the flavor and color, you can lightly toast the chiles in a pan. Be careful not to burn them or toast them heavily because they can become bitter.



When your pods are ready, place them in a saucepan filled with water. Bring the water to boil then reduce to the lowest heat. Let them soak until they are soft and plump. Once your peppers are soft, transfer the peppers into a blender or food processor; do not discard the water. There is no need to remove the peels of the peppers; once they are pureed it will have a smooth consistency. While pureeing, you can use some of the reserved water to unbind the mixture. Set aside.



In a saucepan, heat the oil then add flour to make a roux. Stir until the paste turns into golden yellow. Add in the minced garlic to sautee. Once the garlic is done, add the pureed peppers and three quarters of the reserved water. Adjust the consistency by adding more of the reserved water. Continue to cook until sauce has thickened to nappe (coats the back of your spoon). Add in dried oregano if desired. Season with salt and pepper.



You can adjust the heat if needed with the seeds and ribs that were set aside. For a smoother sauce, puree one more time. Use the sauce for enchiladas, burritos, and can be served with eggs. In New Mexico, you will find them served with burgers.

You can freeze the sauce for 4-6 months, if not used immediately. In our home, we pre-portion them before freezing. In this way it is convenient for future use and one should avoid defrosting a large amount of sauce and then re-freezing.



Pork stewed in Red Chile Sauce



3-4 lbs Pork Picnic Shoulder including bone( if you prefer beef, use beef chuck)

2-3 cups Red Chile Sauce

1 medium sized onion, diced

2 bay leaves



Trim the fat off the pork and discard. Cut the remaining meat into medium sized pieces. Set aside the bones.

In a large pot, combine 2-3 cups of red chile sauce, 1 cup of water, medium sized pieces of pork, bones, bayleaves and diced onions. Bring the pot to boil. Then, reduce the heat to a simmer. Partially cover the pot. Simmer until the meat is fork tender. It may take 1 to 1 ½ hours to cook. Adjust the flavor by adding red chile sauce if necessary. To avoid over seasoning, wait until the meat is fork tender before adjusting the flavor with salt and pepper. When done, discard the bone. Serve in a bowl with warm flour tortillas.



This dish is one of my comfort foods! Enjoy.