Savory and Sweet Pork Stew with Ancho Chiles

Rachael Ray

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

Show: Food Network SpecialsEpisode: Cooking Channel: Rachael's Week in a Day (Mexican Make Ahead)

Rated 5 stars out of 5
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  • Read 3 Reviews
Total Time:
2 hr 0 min
Prep
20 min
Cook
1 hr 40 min
Yield:
4 to 6 servings
Level:
Easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 medium red onion, sliced
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 5 or 6 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup blanched whole almonds
  • 1/2 cup unsalted peanuts
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened dark cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 3 to 4 cloves garlic, grated or made into a paste
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped
  • Handful of raisins
  • 2 pounds pork shoulder, cut into bite-size cubes
  • About 2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 2 large bay leaves
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 12 flour or corn tortillas
  • Queso fresco or Cotija cheese, crumbled

Directions

Separate the red onions into rings and place in a small plastic container. Dress with the lime juice and season with salt and pepper. Cover and store in the refrigerator.

Place the ancho chiles in a pot and cover with the chicken stock. Turn on the heat and warm the stock to reconstitute the chiles, 10 minutes or so.

Meanwhile, in a large Dutch oven, toast the almonds and peanuts over medium heat until browned. Transfer the nuts to a food processor. Reserve the pot. Add the ancho chiles with the stock to the food processor along with the cocoa powder, cloves, garlic, yellow onions and raisins. Season with salt and pepper. Puree until smooth. (You may need to do this in two batches.)

Pat the pork dry and heat a thin layer of oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the pork with salt and pepper, then brown in two batches, adding more oil between batches as needed. Return all the pork to the pot and pour the ancho sauce over it. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the pork is very tender, 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 1/2 hours (depending on how large you cubed the meat).

Warm or char the tortillas. Serve the stew with the lime-pickled onions, crumbled cheese and the tortillas.

Cook's Note: If you are not serving the pork immediately, cool and store it in the refrigerator. Reheat over medium heat.

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Newest Ratings and Reviews

Read all 3 reviews

  • on May 12, 2012

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    Prep was super easy with my vitamix! I first tried my food processor, but failed to read to do in two batches; what a mess with the broth going everywhere! But my blender saved the day. I wasn't sure my family (2 teenage boys would care for these flavors and such dark color - remember teenage boys! But there was absolute silence and clean bowls. The onions pickled so well and were absolutely delicious! A very inexpensive and easy meal when pork shoulder is on sale. And yet deceptively looks like you slaved away all day for those flavors!

    My other fav RR recipe is her whole wheat penne artichoke with spinach pesto!

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  • on February 12, 2012

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    Yum oooooo. Absolutely awesome. We don't eat pork so i used beef.

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  • on February 12, 2012

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    We thought this was fabulous and it's going in my book of recipes to make again (and not lose. The ancho chile sauce is spicy (but not real not, flavorful, and a gorgeous color. We added lime jiuce (about half a lime to brighten the flavor.

    people found this review Helpful.
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