Carne Adovada appears as a signature dish in 2 United States cities. See each city's local variant and where to eat it.
Carne adovada · Albuquerque
Pork shoulder slow stewed in red chile, garlic and oregano until silky. Mary and Tito's Cafe won the 2010 James Beard America's Classic award for this dish.
Carne adovada is the Spanish Pueblo fusion that defines New Mexican cooking. Spanish colonists brought pork from Mexico in the 16th century. Pueblo cooks combined it with the native chile pod. Mary and Tito's Cafe on Fourth Street received the James Beard America's Classic award in 2010 for its rendition, the first national recognition for an Albuquerque restaurant.
Where to eat in Albuquerque:
- Mary and Tito's Cafe
- Sadie's of New Mexico
- El Pinto
- El Modelo Mexican Foods
Carne adovada · Santa Fe
Pork shoulder marinated in red chile sauce and slow-braised until the meat shreds with a fork. Smoky, deeply spicy, never sweet. The benchmark Santa Fe meat dish.
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.
Where to eat in Santa Fe:
- Horseman's Haven Cafe
- Atrisco Cafe & Bar
- Tia Sophia's
- Casa Chimayo