Asado de puerco, or asado de boda, is a classic of Northern Mexico. Rich chiles that aren’t too hot, lots of pork and spices make this dish.
INGREDIENTS
▢ 3 pounds pork shoulder (see above for alternatives)
▢ Salt
▢ 3 avocado leaves, or bay leaves
▢ 1/4 cup lard, bacon fat or oil
▢ 100 grams dried guajillo chiles, 3.5 ounces
▢ 100 grams dried pasilla or ancho chiles, 3.5 ounces
▢ 10 grams arbol or cascabel chiles, about 5 to 7
▢ 4 cloves garlic, minced
▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
▢ 1 teaspoon dried thyme
▢ 5 crushed cloves, or 1/4 teaspoon ground
▢ 1/8 to 1/4 avocado pit (optional)
▢ Zest of an orange
▢ Juice of an orange
INSTRUCTIONS
Cut the pork into chunks between 1 and 2 inches across. Just barely cover with water and bring this to a simmer. Skim any froth. Add salt to taste and the avocado leaves and simmer uncovered until the water has almost cooked away.
Meanwhile, pour boiling water over the guajillo, ancho and arbol chiles and let them steep to rehydrate.
When they’re soft, add the chiles, the garlic, cumin, thyme, cloves and avocado pit to a blender. Add some water or stock and puree. You want this to be about as thick as melted ice cream or housepaint.
When the water is almost all gone, remove the avocado leaves and add the lard. Turn the heat to medium-high and brown the pork, stirring often.
Once the pork has browned, pour in a little water or stock and use a wooden spoon to remove any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Now pour in the contents of the blender and stir. Add a little water to the blender to get any good stuff out of it and add that to the pot, too. Return the avocado leaves to the pot, add the orange juice and zest and salt everything to taste. Let this simmer until the sauce thickens a bit, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Serve alongside rice and beans, or in a corn tortilla.
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