Name: Santa Fe Style Carne Adovada
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 90 min
Ingredients: 1/3 cup peanut or vegetable oil; 3-1/2 lbs. pork loin or butt (sliced thin or cut in 3/4-inch cubes); 2 cups diced onion; 2 tbsp minced garlic; 4 cups chicken broth or water; 2 tsp ground coriander seed; 2 tsp dried Mexican oregano; 1 med chile caribe (sliced and seeded); 8-10 dried Red New Mexico or California chilies; 2 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar; salt to taste

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Santa Fe Style Carne Adovada with decorative spoon — Santa Fe Style Carne Adovada

One of the most intimidating things about cooking an international dish like this Santa Fe Style Carne Adovada is recognizing the variations in ingredients. Dwaine and I will often walk around a grocery in Puerto Vallarta and marvel at the enormous variety in vegetables they have compared to our paltry selection here in Denver. Dozens of chilies, all shapes, sizes and colors, as well as cactus and root vegetables that we can’t possibly recognize. I’ve often wished for a tour guide to take us through the produce section so that we could know what everything is and how it’s used!

I did find a few websites that have proven helpful over time:

The Fruit and Vegetables of Mexico – a good, basic primer with some photos.

A Guide to Mexico’s Different Fruits and Vegetables and How to Use Them – much more comprehensive and in-depth.

12 Essential Chili Peppers for Mexican Cooking – this one is super helpful for knowing what you’re looking for at the market.

Santa Fe Style Carne Adovada – The Chilies

For this recipe we need just two, very common Mexican chilies – Caribe and Chamayo.

Here is a caribe chile:

On their own, caribe peppers are pretty fierce, a 7/10 on the heat scale. But we’re only going to use 1 for some heat. Be careful when working with this pepper! Wash carefully after slicing and don’t rub your eyes.

New Mexico and California (Anaheim) peppers are a staple here in Colorado. The New Mexico version is sold along roadways every season under the “Hatch” name (though there is no such thing as a “Hatch” chile. It’s merely an indicator of where they are grown). They are a mild pepper, and can be found in red and green varieties. For this recipe, we need about 8-10 of the dried, red New Mexico chilies. You’ll find them like this:

Santa Fe Style Carne Adovada – Preparing the Chilies

In this recipe, you’ll steep these chilies in hot (not boiling) water for about 30 minutes, then pull off the stem and slip your finger or thumb inside to scrape out the seeds and inner veins (the more you leave behind, the hotter the sauce will be!) No need to remove the skin.

For the protein, you’ll usually find this made with inexpensive pork butt, and that’s what I recommend – though you can use pork chops in a pinch. I find they come out a bit dry for my taste.

Otherwise, the recipe is very simple and great with rice, beans and tortillas! Perfect for Cinco de Mayo feasting. Enjoy!

(And if you’re looking for another good meat dish, try my Easy London Broil Recipe.)

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Santa Fe Style Carne Adovada

Just in time for Cinco de Mayo here in the States, this Carne Adovada (sometimes spelled adobada), is a spicy, tangy, but not-too-hot Mexican pork dish. Found in almost any Mexican restaurant, the recipe varies wildly. This is a Santa Fe version, using mild caribe and Chamayo chile for a smoky flavor.

Prep Time30

Cook Time1

Total Time1 30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: Carne Adobada, Carne Adovada, Santa Fe Style Carne Adovada

Servings: 8 Servings

Calories: 522kcal

Author: Don Herman

Ingredients

1/3 cup peanut or vegetable oil
3-1/2 lbs. pork loin or butt sliced thin or cut in 3/4-inch cubes
2 cups diced onion
2 tbsp minced garlic
4 cups chicken broth or water
2 tsp ground coriander seed
2 tsp dried Mexican oregano
1 med chile caribe sliced and seeded
8-10 dried Red New Mexico or California chilies
2 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
salt to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°.
Heat the oil in a large skillet and brown pork in small batches. Set the pork aside. Add the onion to skillet and sauté until golden. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Deglaze the skillet with 1 cup of the chicken broth, loosening the browned bits with a spoon.
Wash, stem and seed the caribe chile. Be very careful to wash your hands afterward and do not touch your eyes!
Place the coriander, oregano, chile caribe, New Mexico chilies, vinegar and salt in the workbowl of a food processor or blender. Add the cooked onions, garlic and broth from the skillet and 2 more cups of chicken broth. Process until the mixture is thoroughly combined.
Place the browned pork, the chile marinade and the remaining 1 c. chicken broth in an ovenproof pot or dish, stir to combine well, and cook for 1 hour or until the pork is tender.

Notes

Caribe chilies are high in acid, so wash carefully after handling.

Do not use boiling water to reconstitute New Mexico chilies, as it can make them bitter. Steep them in hot water instead.

Serve with warm tortillas, rice and beans.

Santa Fe Style Carne Adobada – Questions and Answers

What’s the difference between “carne adovada” and “carne adobada”?
They’re the same dish — just regional spelling variations. New Mexico tends to use “adovada,” while other parts of Mexico and the Southwest use “adobada.” Both refer to pork marinated and cooked in a red chile sauce.

I can’t find caribe or Chamayo chiles. What can I substitute?
If you can’t find caribe, a small amount of crushed red pepper flakes or a chile de árbol can stand in for heat. For Chamayo (Chimayó), a good-quality dried New Mexico red chile is the closest substitute — the flavor won’t be identical, but it will get you close.

How spicy is this dish?
It’s mild to moderate. The New Mexico chiles are mild on their own, and only one caribe chile goes into the whole batch for a touch of heat. You can reduce or omit the caribe entirely for a milder version, or add a second one if you want more kick.

Can I use pork chops instead of pork loin or butt?
You can, but pork butt (shoulder) is recommended because the fat content keeps the meat tender through the hour of cooking. Chops tend to dry out with this method.

Can I make this in a slow cooker instead of the oven?
Yes. Brown the pork and sauté the onions and garlic as directed, then transfer everything to a slow cooker with the chile marinade. Cook on low for 6-7 hours or until the pork is tender.

Can I use chile powder instead of dried whole chiles?
Fresh dried chiles give the best flavor and texture for the sauce, but in a pinch, you can substitute about 2-3 tablespoons of New Mexico red chile powder mixed into the broth. The flavor will be milder and less complex.

Can I freeze carne adovada?
Yes, it freezes well. Cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat gently on the stovetop.

What should I serve with carne adovada?
Warm tortillas, rice, and beans are traditional. It also works well as a filling for burritos or enchiladas.