I don’t eat a lot of meat. I’d probably be vegetarian if I didn’t live with a carnivore. She’s willing to eat some vegetarian meals, though, and I’ll have fish and chicken once in a while, so we make it work. (Relationships are all about compromise, right?) Very rarely, however (often around the holidays when I’m in the giving mood), I’ll break down entirely and cook up some real meat. When I do so, one of my favorite ways to prepare it is by braising or pot roasting until it’s falling apart. Here’s my once-a-year meat recipe, for chili-roasted pork, a dish that packs a lot of flavor and is a great, easy way to please a crowd. Despite the name, it’s not that hot, really, and the heat can be adjusted to suit your tastes. It’s a variation on a recipe from Rick Bayless’s Mexican Kitchen: Capturing the Vibrant flavors of a World-Class Cuisine.
Soak in hot water for 30 minutes:
- 3 dried ancho chilis, stemmed and seeded
- 4 dried guajillo chilis, stemmed and seeded
If you prefer a milder taste, use New Mexican chilis instead of guajillos, or increase the number of anchos and decrease the guajillos.
Drain the chilis, reserving the water. Put them into a blender, along with:
- 2 peeled garlic cloves
- 1/2 small onion, roughly chopped
- 2 TBS cider vinegar
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg or allspice (the two are slightly different, but each works well)
- 2-3 bay leaves, ground in a mortar or spice grinder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- About 1/2 cup of the reserved chili water.
Blend to a smooth paste. Add more chili water as necessary to keep your blender from jamming.
Heat a tablespoon or so of oil in an ovenproof 6-quart pot. When it is hot, add the chili paste, and cook for about five minutes until it thickens.
The above steps can be done in advance, if you like.
Trim and cut into large slices about 3″ thick:
- A 3-pound Boston butt roast
(You can use a pork loin, too, but it’s more expensive, and unnecessary. The pot roasting is meant to be used on cheaper cuts of meat. I’m guessing this recipe would also work with chicken or beef, but I haven’t actually tried them.)
Place the meat into the chili paste, and turn to coat. Add another half cup or so of water (the chili water or plain tap water). Cover the pot tightly and place in a 325° oven.
Baste every 30 minutes for 2-3 hours until the meat pulls apart easily with a fork. Remove from oven and let sit for 15-20 minutes to reabsorb the juices.
You may serve this in several ways:
- Shredded and mixed with the sauce, as a filling for tortillas (preferably corn).
- Sliced or shredded over rice, with extra sauce poured on top.
Either way, sprinkle some chopped cilantro and chopped onions over the top for flavor and effect. Red onions look particularly nice.