Carne Adovada

Ingredients

• 3 lb boneless pork shoulder
• 3 oz dried New Mexico red chile pods, about 14 pods
• 4 cups hot water
• 1 medium onion
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp Mexican oregano
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• 2 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 1 tbsp lard or vegetable oil
• Warm flour tortillas, to serve
• Pinto beans, to serve

Before you cook

• Wipe the chile pods clean with a damp cloth.
• Pull off the stems and shake out most of the seeds.
• Cut the pork shoulder into one-and-a-half inch cubes, leaving a little fat on each piece.
• Peel the onion and chop it coarsely.
• Peel the garlic cloves.

Steps

1. Set a dry heavy pan over medium heat and toast the chile pods for about 30 seconds a side, pressing them flat, until they smell fragrant but have not darkened.
2. Put the toasted pods in a heatproof bowl and pour the hot water over them.
3. Weigh the pods down with a plate and leave them to soften for 25 minutes.
4. Lift the pods into a blender and add the onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, vinegar, honey and salt.
5. Pour in 2 cups of the soaking water and blend on high for a full 2 minutes, until the sauce is completely smooth.
6. Push the sauce through a sieve into a large bowl, pressing hard on the solids, and discard the skins left behind.
7. Add the pork cubes to the sauce and turn them until every piece is coated.
8. Cover the bowl and refrigerate it for at least 8 hours or overnight.
9. Heat the oven to 325F.
10. Rub the lard around a heavy casserole dish and scrape in the pork with all of its marinade.
11. Cover the dish tightly with a lid or a double layer of foil.
12. Bake the pork for 2 hours and 30 minutes without opening the dish.
13. Uncover the dish and stir the pork, which should now be falling apart at the edges.
14. Return the dish to the oven uncovered for a final 30 minutes, until the sauce has darkened and thickened around the meat.
15. Taste for salt and let the pork rest for 10 minutes before serving with warm tortillas and pinto beans.