This stew is inspired by the famous Mexican dishes like Pozole and Menudo. It has the smoky kick of dried chiles and the tang of fresh lime juice, but not as thick as an American stew. Serve with some cornbread or over steamed rice for a nice alternative to chili—I’m thinking this might be perfect Super Bowl fare.
Thinking Ahead: Although the hands-on time is minimal, the total cooking time is about 3 hours, so plan ahead. Alternatively, this could be easily made in a crock pot and let simmer all day, Or, you could make it up to 3 days in advance and reheat when you want to serve.
Braised Pork and Chile Stew Recipe
A warming stew with the kick of dried chiles, tender carrots, and big hunks of braised pork shoulder. Dairy free! Adapted from Food and Wine
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 large white onion, medium dice
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 3 large carrots, cut into 2-inch long pieces
- 3 dried ancho chiles, seeded and cut into very thin strips with scissors
- 2 bay leaves
- pinch ground cloves
- 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
- 1 quart chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 whole, canned tomatoes, diced
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1 lime, quartered
Instructions
- Season pork generously with salt and pepper on all sides. Heat oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add half of the pork and let brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove pork from pot with tongs or a slotted spoon and repeat with remaining pork.
- Return all pork and any accumulated juices to pot and add onion, garlic, carrots, chiles, bay leaves and cloves. Season with salt and pepper and cook until onions are translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add lime juice, stock and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered until pork is tender, about 3 hours. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary, stir in cilantro and serve with lime wedges.
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