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Asado de Puerco

This Asado de Puerco is a rich and flavorful pork stew with succulent pieces of pork in a spicy chile sauce. If you love Mexican cuisine, this makes a wonderful and comforting dinner.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 205kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 ancho chiles stemmed and seeded
  • 7 guajillo chiles stemmed and seeded
  • 2 ½ pound pork shoulder cut into small pieces
  • 5 garlic cloves divided
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro
  • 1 orange zested and juiced* see notes
  • 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
  • 1 tablespoon salt to taste
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon ground clove
  • water as needed
  • 2 tablespoon butter unsalted or salted
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar

Instructions

  • Add chiles to a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and simmer until soft, about 10-15 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the peppers to a plate to cool slightly, and save the water for later.
  • Add pork, 3 garlic close and the bay leave to a large pan and enough water to cover; bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered until pork is tender. It will take at least 45-60 minutes, add small amounts of water as needed to keep it covered.
  • While the pork cooks, make the sauce by blending softened peppers with cilantro, if using, orange juice (and zest if desired* see note), oregano, salt, thyme, cumin, clove, remaining garlic, and 1 cup of the reserved pepper water in a high-powered blender. Add more water until you have reached your desired consistency.
  • With a slotted spoon, remove cooked pork from the pan, discard water, then melt the butter and brown pork evenly on medium heat.
  • Pour sauce over the meat and stir to combine. Add vinegar and cook for 5 more minutes on medium-low; again, adding any additional water as needed, then serve.

Notes

  • Any cut that has good fat and connective tissue works best since it becomes tender with simmering. Pork shoulder is the ideal choice, with ribs as a great alternative. Avoid pork tenderloin because it’s too lean and can dry out or overcook easily.
  • After simmering the pork with garlic and bay leaf, make sure to pat it very dry. This helps it brown in the butter instead of steaming, giving you a nice crust.
  • As the pork simmers, you’ll notice foam rising to the surface. Skim it off with a fine mesh strainer or slotted spoon for a cleaner, smoother finish.

Nutrition

Calories: 205kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 973mg | Potassium: 573mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 3343IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 2mg