Pork in Red Sauce – Asado Rojo

“Asado”  translates from Spanish as “roasted”; this dish probably got that denomination from being cooked traditionally over an open wood fire.  Now also cooked over the stove, it could receive a promotion to stew, with its generous chunks of pork, in a rich red sauce (as the name indicates, by rojo).  Several of Mexico’s Northern states have their own versions; this recipe is based on the state of Durango’s seasonings, which include a variety of dried red peppers, spices, and an acidic accent, traditionally achieved by adding orange juice or vinegar. 

Pork in Red Sauce – Asado Rojo

Printable recipe:  Pork in Red Sauce – Asado Rojo 

Ingredients

1 ½ to 1 ¾ lb (680-800 g) boneless pork shoulder; cut into chunks
1 white onion; peeled, and cut into quarters
10 dry red peppers, such as cascabel, ancho, guajillo, or a mix; rinsed, and patted dry, seeds and stems removed
2 bay leaves
6 cloves garlic; peeled
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp Mexican oregano, or omit
¼ tsp ground cinnamon, preferably Mexican
¼ tsp ground cloves
1 ½ tsp coarse salt, or to taste
¼ cup orange juice, or apple cider vinegar
3-4 cups water, as needed

Place pork chunks in a large pan, preferably wide, to fit the meat in a single layer; sprinkle with half a teaspoon of salt, then add a quarter of the onion, two cloves of garlic, and one cup of water (photo below, left).  Place pan on the stove over high heat, to bring water to boil; reduce heat to medium, and cover pan (photo below, right):

Allow to cook for one hour, checking halfway to make sure there is enough water to cover the bottom of the pan.

Meanwhile, bring two cups of water to boil in a small pot over high heat, then add dry peppers (I had 5 cascabel, 3 anchos, and 2 guajillos, photo below left).  Bring back to boil, then add bay leaves (photo below, right):

Boil for five minutes, then remove from heat and allow to cool down for a few minutes.  Reserve.

Measure seasonings, photo below, left, clockwise from top left: ground cumin, Mexican oregano (if using), ground cinnamon, and ground cloves; reserve.  In a dry skillet (no oil), roast the rest of the onion, and the rest of the garlic cloves, turning to char all around; after a couple of turns, place the garlic cloves on top of the onion, to avoid burning, and continue charring the onions (photo below, right): 

Remove skillet from heat, and transfer onions and garlic to a blender jar; add cooked peppers and bay leaves, then the measured spices (photo below, left).  Add one cup of liquid from cooking the peppers (photo below, right):

Process until smooth, and reserve.

After one hour of cooking, uncover pan with meat, which should be fully cooked (photo below, left).   Remove onions and garlic and continue cooking meat, uncovered (photo below, right):

Add the onion and garlic to the blender jar, and then the rest of the liquid from cooking the peppers (photo below, left).  Process again, until smooth (photo below, right):

Reserve.

When almost all the water has evaporated from the pan with the meat (photo below, left), do not leave unattended, as the meat will start to crisp and brown quickly, from the fat rendered to the pan; fry chunks for a couple of minutes, turning to crisp on all sides (photo bellow, right):

Add reserved sauce to the pan, sieving through a mesh:

Add half a cup of water to the blender jar, to collect any remaining sauce, and add to the pan, through the mesh (photo below, left).  Discard solids collected in the mesh (photo below, right):

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, and continue cooking (photo below, left), until the sauce has thickened (photo below, right):

Add orange juice (or vinegar), and adjust seasoning with more salt, to taste.

Serve hot, with wheat tortillas and beans, de la olla (from the pot), or a la charra (horseman style), as shown in the photo, below (click on highlighted text for my recipes):

The meat is tasty and crispy on the outside, and fork-tender inside, and the rich sauce is an open invitation to dip a rolled tortilla, to soak up all the flavours, and aid in scooping the meat onto the fork or spoon:

Asado rojo may also be served with Mexican white rice, or as mentioned in a previous post, as a filling for gorditas.

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I am bringing my recipe to Full Plate Thursday #672 with Miz Helen @ Miz Helen’s Country Cottage.

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I am also sharing my post at Thursday Favourite Things #638, with Bev @ Eclectic Red Barn, Pam @ An Artful Mom, Katherine @ Katherine’s Corner, Amber @ Follow the Yellow Brick Home, and Linda @ Crafts a la Mode.

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I am joining Fiesta Friday #514  with Angie @ Fiesta Friday, this week co-hosting with Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook.