Shredded Pork Stew with Smoky Chipotle Tomato Sauce

Shredded Pork Stew with Smoky Chipotle Tomato Sauce

 

1 pound pork shoulder

2 bay leaves

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound fresh Mexican chorizo, 

1 onion, sliced

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 pounds (about 7) plum tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise, then cut into half rings

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

2 sprigs fresh marjoram, leaves removed from stem

2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed from stem

1/4 cup adobo sauce from the can of chipotles

2 canned chipotle chiles, chopped

Garnish

Tortilla chips

Home-made Mexican crema (p.xxx), or store bought

6 sprigs of fresh cilantro

Prepare the meat

Place the pork in a medium size pot and fill with enough water to cover by one inch.  Add the bay leaves and the crushed garlic.  Bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to a simmer and partially cover the pot.  Cook for 30 minutes.  Allow the pork to cool in the stock, then drain, reserving 1 cup of the stock.  Shred the pork by pulling apart the fibers with your fingers.  Discard any fat or connective tissue.  Set aside.

Prepare the chorizo

Place a tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium size pot set over medium heat.  Remove the chorizo from its casing and add it to the pot.  Cook the chorizo, breaking it apart as you stir, until it achieves a golden brown color and begin to render its fat.  (Don’t worry if some of the chorizo sticks to the bottom of the pan.)  Remove the chorizo from the pot and set it aside.

Brown the main ingredients

Add the second tablespoon of olive oil to the pot containing the rendered fat from the chorizo and set it over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes or until the onion begins to get limp and translucent.  To this mixture, add the shredded pork, season with the salt, and continue sautéing for 3 more minutes.  Deglaze the pot by pouring in a couple of tablespoons of the reserved pork stock and scraping the bottom of the pot with a rubber spatula. 

Finish the stew

Add the chorizo, tomatoes, chipotles, adobo from canned chipotles, oregano, thyme, and marjoram to the pot.  Stir well and simmer for 5 minutes.  Pour in the rest of the reserved pork stock and continue simmering, uncovered, for 25 minutes in order to blend the flavors.

Garnish and serve

Pour the finished stew into a large shallow bowl and garnish with fresh sprigs of cilantro.  Serve with tortilla chips and Mexican crema.

From Simply Mexican by Lourdes Castro