Southwestern Pork Chile

By lakelurelady • July 28, 2011 • 4 Comments

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Southwestern Pork Chile — 1 of 2 Photo by lakelurelady

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Author Notes: Last year for Christmas I received a ristra of New Mexico dried red chiles. From the chiles I made a pork stew that simmers in the oven until the pork is fork tender. Served over rice or in tortillas you have a succulent dish that melds the mild pork with the heat of the chiles. - lakelurelady

Serves 6

3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
2 onions, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 pounds boneless pork butt, trimmed and meat cut into cubes
8 large dried red New Mexico chiles, seeded ground in spice grinder
4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a large, heavy-bottomed, ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, until onions are golden, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute or two. Transfer onions and garlic to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, salt, cumin, and pepper. Add pork and toss to coat. Return pot to medium-high heat, add remaining 1 tbsp. oil, and working in batches, lightly brown meat on all sides. Transfer meat to a separate bowl as you go.
Return onions and garlic to pot. Sprinkle onion mixture with ground chiles and cook, stirring for about 2 minutes. Add broth, stirring to loosen browned bits from bottom of pot. Whirl sauce in a blender until smooth. Return sauce to pot and add bay leaf and reserved pork.
Cover pot. Place in preheated oven and cook for 1 hour. Set lig slightly ajar and cook until pork is fork=tender, about 1 more hour. Remove bay leaf before serving.
Serve over rice or in flour tortillas with sour cream.