History

Carne adovada (sometimes adobada) descends from Spanish colonial preservation: pork marinated in dried chile, garlic and vinegar to extend shelf life before refrigeration. The Chimayo and Espanola valleys north of Santa Fe codified the slow-braise version through the 19th century, and it became a Santa Fe restaurant standard by mid-20th century, anchoring menus at Horseman's Haven, Pasqual's and La Choza.

Common allergens: Gluten in tortilla

Make it at home

Yield Serves 6Hands-on 35 minTotal 4 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch cubes
  • 18 dried New Mexico red chile pods, stemmed and seeded
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • Sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons lard

Method

  1. Toast dried red chiles in a dry pan 30 seconds per side, then steep in hot stock 25 minutes until soft.
  2. Blend chiles, stock, garlic, oregano, cumin and vinegar into a smooth marinade.
  3. Combine marinade with pork in a non-reactive bowl, cover, refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
  4. Preheat oven to 325 F. Sear pork in lard in a Dutch oven over high heat until browned all over.
  5. Pour marinade over the pork, bring to a simmer, then cover and braise 2.5 to 3 hours until fork-tender.
  6. Adjust salt; serve over rice or in warm flour tortillas with pinto beans.

Tip from the editors. Do not skip the overnight marinade; the meat reads bland and the sauce reads thin if you rush it.

This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.

Where to eat carne adovada

Carne adovada in Santa Fe

Horseman's Haven Cafe ★ 4.5

cerrillosMon-Sat 06:30-19:00, Sun 06:30-15:00

Horseman's Haven has poured cheap chile-laden plates from a Cerrillos Road gas-station building since 1981; full meal under $15, plus the Bourdain-blessed.

Try: Carne adovada burrito with Level 2 green chile

4354 Cerrillos Road, Santa Fe, NM 87507

Estevan Restaurante ★ 4.5

downtown

Why locals love it: Tucked upstairs in Hotel Chimayo, easy to walk past; Chef Estevan Garcia's monastery-quiet plates of Northern New Mexican with French technique fly under the tourist radar.

Tip: Order the mushroom duxelle-stuffed chile relleno; the carne adovada ravioli has been on the menu for years.

125 Washington Avenue, Santa Fe, NM 87501

Atrisco Cafe & Bar ★ 4.3

New Mexican$$downtownDaily 11:00-21:00; weekend breakfast Sat-Sun 08:00-13:00

Atrisco builds family-recipe red chile from sun-dried whole pods at Devargas Center, served with local Santa Fe lamb, beef and honey-glazed sopaipillas.

Signature: Sun-dried whole-pod red chile, Carne adovada plate, Sopaipillas with raw honey

193 Paseo de Peralta, Santa Fe, NM 87501 Book →

Casa Chimayo ★ 4.4

New Mexican$$downtownWed-Mon 11:00-21:00; closed Tue

Casa Chimayo cooks family Chimayo red and green chile and Dine accents downtown; Guy Fieri filmed DDD here for the famous blue corn enchiladas plate.

Signature: Blue corn enchiladas, Carne adovada with red chile, Tamales

409 West Water Street, Santa Fe, NM 87501 Book →

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