Red Pork Stew with Colorado-style Chilies

Red Pork Stew with Colorado-style Chilies

Going for a taste adventure? Pork Mole Coloradito is a delicious, complex dish to sink your teeth into! This version is infused with unique flavors like cumin, oregano, and a hint of chocolate, all complementing the mild spice from dried guajillo and ancho chiles, commonly found in Oaxaca, Mexico.

Here's what you'll need for your shopping list: The unusual ingredients, such as dried guajillo chiles, Mexican drinking chocolate, and Mexican oregano (a close cousin of lemon verbena), are available at Latin markets or the Latin section of your supermarket.

Crafting your game plan: If you're making tamales, it's better to keep the pork and sauce separate. When ready to fill the tamales, just shred as much pork as needed.

With our Pork Mole Coloradito taking part in our "Tamales for the Holidays" project, it's bound to elevate your festive meals!

• Serves: 8 to 10
• Difficulty Level: Challenging
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 4 hours

Ingredients (Listed for clarity)

For the pork:- Pork shoulder, cut into 3-inch chunks- Quartered white onion- Garlic cloves- Cumin seeds- Salt

For the sauce:- Dried guajillo chiles- Dried ancho chiles- Unpeeled garlic cloves- White onion- Sesame seeds- Mexican oregano- Dried thyme- Reserved pork cooking liquid- Roma tomatoes- Vegetable oil or lard- Pecans- Pumpkin seeds- Half ripe yellow plantain- Sweet yeast rolls- Mexican drinking chocolate- Salt

Instructions (Rewritten for Clarity)

For the pork:

1. Boil the pork, onion, garlic, cumin seeds, and salt in a pot, covered, for 2 to 2 ½ hours until tender.
2. Remove the pork from the dish and set it aside. Reserve the cooking liquid.

For the sauce:

1. Toast the guajillo chiles and ancho chiles in a large, dry cast-iron skillet over medium heat until fragrant. Soak the chiles in hot water until softened. Drain the chiles and remove the stems.
2. Char the garlic and onion in a dry cast-iron skillet over medium heat until they're translucent and slightly charred. Once cooled, peel the garlic.
3. Toast the sesame seeds in a cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until evenly toasted. Let cool, then grind to a powder.
4. Combine garlic, onion, ground sesame seeds, oregano, thyme, and reserved pork cooking liquid in a blender, blend until smooth, and set aside.
5. Simmer the tomatoes until soft, drain, and set aside.
6. Cook the sauce in a Dutch oven or a large, heavy-bottomed pot on low heat, scraping the bottom to prevent sticking.
7. Blend the softened guajillo chiles with some pork cooking liquid, strain the mixture into the sauce, and set aside.
8. Fry the pecans, pumpkin seeds, plantain slices, and bread slices in hot oil or lard. Blend the fried ingredients with some pork cooking liquid, smooth the mixture, and add to the sauce.
9. Add the chocolate, salt, and 2 more cups of pork cooking liquid to the sauce. Cook until slightly thickened and the flavors are well-blended. Use the sauce for Pork Mole Tamales or add the reserved pork and cook until warmed through before serving with tortillas.

Hint: Find the hard-to-find ingredients in Latin markets, your supermarket's Latin section, or online.

Enjoy the mesmerizing flavors of Pork Mole Coloradito at your next gathering!

1. The unique flavors of Pork Mole Coloradito, such as those from cumin, oregano, Mexican drinking chocolate, and a hint of chocolate, are polar opposites to the mild spice from dried guajillo and ancho chiles.
2. Uncategorized ingredients like pecans, pumpkin seeds, and crispy sweet yeast rolls are added to the Pork Mole Coloradito sauce towards the end for an intriguing texture and color boost.
3. Nutrition facts for Pork Mole Coloradito can vary greatly depending on the specific ingredients and preparation, but it's safe to say that this dish offers a delightful fusion of various spices and flavors, as well as a hearty serving of protein from the pork.
4. According to the recipe, preparing Pork Mole Coloradito might fall under the challenging category, but following the detailed instructions, listing ingredients, and sourcing hard-to-find items (such as at Latin markets, the Latin section of your supermarket, or online) will ensure a satisfying culinary adventure.

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