Yucatan Pork Stew

Are your tastebuds ready for this? Yucatan Pork Stew. Do I need to say more here? To quote Penelope Cruz in the Kahlua commercial....Deliciouso hehe. Yes, I know, I enjoy watching that commercial (probably not as much as my husband LOL) but yes. I like it. I also like Kahlua too...but that's a whole nother story. We are here to talk pork. Pork roast to be precise.

Start out with a nice well rounded individual...weighing in at about 1lb and cut it up into 2" chunks.

Now drizzle about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet and warm it up till it is ripply.

Place the pork chunks in the pan and give some good dashes of salt and pepper. Cook over moderately high heat stirring the meat to brown on all sides.

Next....get yourself a nice yellow onion.

Now dice it up

 While you are dicing up that yeller onion, don't forget about the meat sizzling on the stove. When the chunks are mostly browned, turn off the burner and remove from the heat.

Next....get yourself 1 1/2 large ancho chiles (or in my case, one grande and one pequeno)

Lob off the tops and remove the seeds

Now, get yourself some kitchen shears and cut them into thin strips.

I just adore ancho chiles. The color, robust taste, the textures.

Now, in a large crock pot or slow cooker, add the onions, ancho chiles, 1 heaping teaspoon bottled garlic or 4 crushed cloves, a pinch of ground cloves, 2 bay leaves, 8oz (or roughly 1 1/2 cups) chopped carrots, 1/4 cup cilantro, and 3 cups chicken broth.

Next stir in one 14.5oz can of diced tomatoes and spoon in with a slotted spoon the cooked pork pieces.

Cover and cook on high for at least 3 hours or until the pork is tender. 

Serve over rice (preferably brown rice...it lends a fuller nuttier flavor that compliments the earthiness of the stew). Garnish with fresh cilantro, jalapenos, and lime juice. 

Delicioso

Yucatan Pork Stew

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 lb pork roast (shoulder or sirloin)

salt and pepper

1 yellow onion diced

1 1/2 large ancho chiles cut into thin strips

1 heaping teaspoon bottled garlic or 4 garlic cloves minced

8oz or roughly 1 1/2 cups chopped carrots

2 bay leaves

pinch of ground cloves

3 cups chicken broth

1 14oz can diced tomatoes

1/4 cup diced cilantro

Start by warming the olive oil in a large skillet until it’s rippling. Add the pieces of pork roast to the pan and dash with salt and pepper. Cook over moderately high heat stirring constantly allowing pork to brown on all sides (for approximately 10 minutes).

Meanwhile, slice the tops off the ancho chiles and remove the seeds. Using kitchen sheers, cut them vertically into small strips.

In a large crock pot add the onions, jalapenos, broth, garlic, chopped carrots, ancho chile strips, whole can of diced tomatoes, bay leaves, cilantro, and ground cloves.

Next transfer the pork using a slotted spoon into the crock pot. Cook on high (for a slow cooker) for about 3 hours or until pork is tender.

Serve over steamed rice (preferably brown rice, it adds a wonderful nuttiness). Season with additional salt and pepper then garnish it with lime juice and additional cilantro.