Chile Colorado with Pork

Chile Colorado

Chile Colorado, translated to “colored red” in Spanish, combines tender pieces of pork or beef with a rich red chile sauce. I’ve made red salsas before but I thought they often tasted either too thin or a little too sharp. Thanks to a recent visit from my Mexican son-in-law, I’ve learned how to make a perfectly balanced salsa roja, which I’ve used to make this pork stew.

While many Chile Colorado recipes don’t use tomatoes for the salsa, this recipe uses three whole tomatoes that have been charred on the stovetop with some onion and garlic, before being processed in the blender. This helps to give a more full-bodied flavor to the salsa as well as remove some of the ‘sharp’ taste of the chiles.

My son-in-law uses dried pasilla and guajillo peppers in his salsa, as well as fresh serrano peppers. Serrano peppers are usually too spicy for me, but due to the thickness of the salsa and the stew, I wasn’t bothered by their heat!

Finally, he added a little white wine and some apple cider vinegar to the salsa which added a perfect nuance to the flavor.

You can use either pork shoulder roast or pork loin for this recipe. Some people prefer to cut the raw pork into cubes, then cook it on a skillet (the fast way). I prefer instead to cook the pork shoulder roast whole either in the slow-cooker (4 hours) or on the stovetop (1 1/2 hours).

The Process

First, place the whole tomatoes, 1/2 onion, and garlic in a fry pan and cook on medium-high heat for about 6-7 minutes until they begin to char. At first, the tomatoes will begin to ‘dance’ a little in the pan before softening and starting to blacken. Turn the veggies occasionally to ensure even charring. When ready, place these ingredients in a blender until ready for the next step.

Prepare the Serrano chiles: slice in half and remove the seeds and white pith. Place them directly into the blender along with the charred tomatoes, garlic, and onion. Or you could char them along with the veggies from Step One.

Remove the stems from the dried chiles, slice each chile in half and remove the seeds (OK if a few seeds slip through). Place each chile in a dry fry pan over medium heat and press down with a spatula for one minute until the chiles turn color. Flip over and repeat on the other side. Add enough water to the pan to just cover the chiles (about one cup). Reduce heat and let cook for 3-5 minutes until chiles soften.

Add the chile mixture (including the 1 cup liquid) into the blender along with the other ingredients. Blend for several minutes until smooth.

Transfer the sauce to a fry pan, add a little white wine, apple cider vinegar, and salt to taste. Let cook for 5-10 minutes until the flavors infuse.

Prepare the Pork

Place the pork shoulder roast in a large pot, cover with water and add 1/4 onion and a few bay leaves and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium low heat for approximately 1 1/2 hours until the meat is cooked through. (I cooked my pork shoulder in a slow cooker for 4 hours until the meat fell off the bone). Cut the meat into 1/2 inch cubes or smaller, place in a bowl and cover with the salsa.

Cooked Pork cut into cubes

Cover with the sauce and garnish with cilantro and lime pieces.