CHILORIO

• portioner: Serves 8
• aktiv tid: 25 minutes
• total tid: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredienser

3 pounds boneless pork butt (shoulder) or loin, prefer- ably with some fat, cut into 2-inch chunks

1¼ cups freshly squeezed orange juice

1¼ cups water

1¼ teaspoons kosher or coarse sea salt, or more to taste

4 ancho chiles (2 ounces), rinsed, stemmed, and seeded

½ cup coarsely chopped white onion

4 garlic cloves

½ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

⅓ cup apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

16 flour tortillas, warmed

Instruktioner

1. Place the pork in a heavy 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven. Add the orange juice, water, and 1 teaspoon of the salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 40 to 45 minutes, or until most of the liquid has cooked away and the meat is lightly browned and has ren- dered most of its fat. Set aside to cool.

2. Meanwhile, place the chiles in a bowl, cover with hot water, and soak for 10 to 15 minutes, until softened.

3. Place the chiles, along with 1½ cups of their soaking liquid, in a blender or food processor, along with the onion, garlic, parsley, oregano, cumin, the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, the pepper, and vinegar and puree until completely smooth.

4. When it is cool enough to handle, shred the pork with your hands or two forks and place it and any juices in a large bowl.

5. In the same pot, heat the oil. Pour in chile puree, bring to a simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes. Stir often until thickened and darkened. Toss in shredded meat and juices and cook until the meat has absorbed most of the sauce, 20-25 minutes. Taste for salt.

6. Serve with warm tortillas.

Anteckningar

Chilorio, pork cooked in orange juice until it's falling-apart tender and then finished in an ancho chile sauce, is a specialty of the northern state of Sinaloa. It is probably the region's most popular dish: Home cooks make it weekly, it's on the menu of nearly every restaurant, and it's sold ready-made in markets. It's so popular, it has even crossed borders sold in cans (it is, of course, infinitely tastier when made at home). Chilorio can be refashioned in many ways and, like many stewed meats, is even better after reheating. Serve it northern- Mexican style, with flour tortillas. The stuffed tortillas are called burritas, which are different from the U.S. burritos in that they are made with nothing other than the meat inside; anything else is on the side. I always accompany it with Chunky Guacamole (page 38).