Carne Adovada (Red Chile and Pork Stew)

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp vegetable oil, divided
2 medium onions, chopped (about 3 cups)
6 large garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 1/2 lbs boned pork shoulder (butt), fat trimmed and meat cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup ground dried New Mexico chiles
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a large, heavy-bottomed, ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until onions are golden, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer onions and garlic to a bowl with a slotted spoon.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, salt, cumin, and pepper. Add pork and toss to coat. Return pot to medium-high heat, add remaining 1 tbsp. oil, and, working in batches, lightly brown meat on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes per batch. Transfer meat to a separate bowl as you go.

Return onions and garlic to pot. Sprinkle with ground chiles and cook, stirring, 2 minutes (mixture will be thick). Add broth, stirring to loosen browned bits from bottom of pot. Whirl sauce in a blender until smooth. Return sauce to pot and add bay leaf and reserved pork.

Cover pot, put in oven, and cook 1 hour. Set lid slightly ajar and cook until pork is fork-tender, about 1 hour more. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Makes 6 servings.

From Sunset, September 2007.