Latin American Pork Stew Recipes

PORK STEW: CARNE ADOVADA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Spread all the spices (chile, coriander, cumin, oregano, peppercorns) on a sheet of aluminum foil with the edges turned up to avoid spillage and toast the spices for a few minutes. Transfer the toasted spices to a molcajete or mortar and pestle and grind together.
• Sprinkle the pork cubes with the spices, covering all surfaces of the meat as much as possible. Let the pork sit covered in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
• Create a beurre manie by mashing the flour into the butter in a small bowl. Set aside until needed as a thickener for the stew.
• Heat the grape seed oil in a deep saute pan over medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the pork cubes and brown on all sides. Lower heat to medium and add the garlic and onion and stir to combine flavors. Cook until the onion turns translucent, then stir in chili powder and paprika. Add 4 cups water and reduce heat to low. Cover and let simmer until fork tender, about 2 hours. Add water as needed throughout the cooking process. In the last 30 minutes of cooking time, add the beurre manie to thicken. Serve hot.

MEXICAN PORK STEW

Steps:

• In a large skillet that has been coated with cooking spray, brown pork and garlic. Add onion, saute until tender. Stir in tomatoes, chilies, cilantro, oregano and bay leaves; cover and simmer for 40 minutes or until pork is tender and no longer pink., In a bowl, combine cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into skillet. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Discard bay leaves.

SPANISH STEW

Steps:

• Remove the meat from the bone and dice into 1-inch cubes. Mix the flour, chile powder, cumin and salt in a bowl. Toss the meat in the seasoned flour. Preheat a saucepot over high heat. Add olive oil, meat, bones and brown very well for 10 minutes. Drain some of the oil leaving approximately 1/4 cup left in the pan. Add 6 cloves garlic and cook until almost brown, about a minute. Stir in the onions and the peppers. Cover and steam for 5 minutes. Add the grape tomatoes, canned tomatoes and 2 cups wine. Bring to a simmer. Add the olives, capers, salt pepper and thyme. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes until meat is tender. Trim the outer leaves from the cauliflower. In a small pot just large enough to hold the vegetable add 1/4 cup olive oil and over medium heat add the cauliflower. Season with salt and add 1/2 cup wine. Cover and steam for 5 minutes. When wine is evaporated add butter, 1 tablespoon garlic and chile flakes. Turn every minute cover until tender. Boil the egg noodles in salted water. Toss with the scallions and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with stew.

CHIPOTLE PORK POSOLE

Steps:

• In a large pot, heat oil over medium. Season pork all over with salt and pepper. Cook until browned on all sides, 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer pork to a plate.
• Add onion and garlic to pot; season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to soften, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Add chipotle chiles; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chicken broth, hominy, tomatoes with their juice, pork, and the water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the pork registers 145°F, about 5 minutes.
• Remove pork, and shred with two forks; return to pan, and stir to combine. To serve, ladle soup into bowls, and garnish with cilantro. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.
• Make Ahead
• This dish actually improves when made ahead and refrigerated. After returning shredded pork to soup, let cool completely and store up to 1 day in an airtight container; reheat gently before serving.

MEXICAN PORK STEW

Steps:

• Heat oil in a Dutch oven. Dredge pork cubes in seasoned flour, brown on all sides. Set aside.
• NOTE: "Brown" means "brown." Don't remove the pork cubes when they're merely gray (the biggest mistake home cooks make when they're browning meat for a stew.) The pork cubes should be browned to where they look like they could be eaten as is.
• Add onion, garlic, and Anaheims. Cook until onion softens, about 3-4 minutes.
• Add seasonings and bay leaf. Cook 1 minute.
• Deglaze with ½ cup chicken broth. Return the pork to the Dutch oven. Add the remaining chicken broth, chopped tomatoes, and refried beans.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer with lid off for two hours.
• Can be served on the plate as a stew, with heated flour tortillas to sop up all the goodness, or can be used to make burritos. Just add an appropriate amount of stew in a line across the center of a heated flour tortilla, sprinkle on top of the stew some shredded iceberg lettuce and chopped fresh tomatoes, and place at either end of the line sour cream and guacamole.
• To increase the heat, add more Anaheims. To increase it further, add more chili powder (but try increasing the heat first by adding more Anaheims.).