Carne Adovada

carne adovada 2****, originally uploaded by Kim De.

In the mood for Mexican food. Not a huge surprise, as the flavors of "real" Mexican food dominate my taste palate.

So I made tacos! Remember from this post that pork is my nemesis, so in my quest to consistently better myself, I decided on pork tacos.

The pork was prepped and put in the oven with the aromatic sauce surrounding it. The timer set appropriately, with the thermometer inserted for extra insurance. Then the waiting began.

After an hour the aroma began to waft into the living room. I checked, the sauce was beginning to dry out, so I added some hot water to the pan. Then the surprise - the thermometer rang after two hours, not three as the recipe stated. So I took it out, covered it, and let it rest for awhile so I could finish the slaw and make the tortillas as accompaniment.

Bo did the heavy lifting and cutting while I waited nervously - how would it taste?

At least it looks nice!

It was hard to find pieces that were mostly meat instead of fat. Possibly the cut called for? The pieces that were meat were a bit dry, but not bad. Add them to a homemade corn tortilla with the spicy sauce drizzled on top folded with the cooling slaw, and I would call it mostly successful.

It was another learning experience. Next time I will try a recipe I have from taco master Mark Miller. I do love a good taco....

Carne Adovada (Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2007)

24 dried red New Mexico chiles, seeded, -- rinsed, and cut into (1-inch) pieces
Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 Tbs cider vinegar
2 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (3-pound) boneless pork shoulder (Boston-- butt), trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes

Preheat broiler.

Arrange chiles in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; broil 1 minute.

Reduce oven temperature to 300°.

Place chiles, onion, and the next 5 ingredients (through chicken broth) in a blender; process until smooth. Combine pork and chile mixture in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cover and bake at 300° for 2 1/2 hours. Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes or until sauce is thick.