Carne en Chile - recipe and method

I'm guessing that this dish is something that's commonly made in homes all over the place. That said, I did discover it for myself -- even though I'm sure I didn't invent it -- and I've been making variations of it for a few years. Still, when I mentioned it to a friend, he sounded interested and suggested that I document the process.

In my recent quest to eat healthier, this recipe and method have become more a part of my regular rotation than an occasional thing, which made documenting the process fairly convenient. What I love about it is that it's got intense, explosive flavor but doesn't have much fat or sodium and is relatively low in carbohydrates on a per-serving basis. It's hearty, filling and versatile, too.

So, without further delay, I present Carne (of your choice) en Chile!

The dish starts with dried chiles . . .


Clockwise from bottom: 3 oz of dried ancho chiles, 4 guajillo chiles and 4 pasilla chiles. You can use any type you like. I've come to appreciate this combination because it strikes a nice balance between heat and sweet.



After I seed them (doing my best to preserve the ribs), I briefly toast them in a hot, dry pan to bring out their flavor.



The reconstituted chiles become the basis of a braising medium in which the meat will cook. For this batch, I use 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar, 1/2 cup of apple juice and 1 cup of chicken stock . . .



Once the chiles are placed in the pan, turn the heat to medium and gently pour the liquids over them.



I wouldn't exactly call it a secret ingredient but sometimes I also add about 1/2 a beer. In this case, I had more chiles than my standard trio of liquids would cover, so I added enough beer to cover the chiles and let the pan simmer for about 20-30 minutes -- until the chiles were soft.



Once the chiles have reconstituted, I place them and all the liquid in a high-sided restaurant pan and hit them with the stick blender.



You're looking for a relatively smooth, homogenous consistency. Once you've created this chile paste, set it aside and begin the next step . . .



I create a spice rub that will be used to season the meat before it's cooked. Clockwise from bottom left are 2 tsp finely-ground Mexican oregano, 1 tsp ground New Mexico chile, 2 tsp cumin seed, 2 tsp black peppercorn and 2 tsp Kosher salt (in the middle).



For best results, toast the cumin and black pepper briefly before you grind them.



The spices are now ground and ready to be combined.



Mix well and set the rub aside while you move on to the next step . . .



For this batch, I used about 4.5 pounds of pork tenderloin. It's not the leanest choice but it's a good compromise. You could use chicken (I often use boneless, skinless thighs) or even beef.



Definitely remove the silverskin from the tenderloins.



Hit the meat -- which is now cut into 2"-3" chunks -- with the spice rub . . .



Cover both sides of the meat well and set it aside while you move on to the next step . . .



For this batch, I used some jalapeno, poblano, onion and garlic.



Put a rough chop on these items and set them aside momentarily.



Get a dutch oven nice and hot, then add 1-2 tsp of olive oil (or an oil of your choice). Give the oil a moment to heat and then add the seasoned meat to the pan . . .



You're looking for a decent sear on the meat . . .



. . . and a nice fond on the bottom of the dutch oven. Set the seared meat aside and have your chopped vegetables and garlic at the ready . . .



Into the pot they go.



Let them brown lightly and if you're using jalapeno or other hot peppers, be careful of the vapors, which will rise up quickly.



The veggies should produce enough moisture/steam to effectively deglaze the pan. If not, once they have browned slightly, you can add some of that leftover beer, which should do the trick.



Now, add the blended chile mixture to the pot, with the sauteed veggies.



Mix to combine well.



Place the seared pork back into the dutch oven, submerging it as best you can.



It's not critical that the meat be completely covered. This type of braise is fairly forgiving.



Cover the dutch oven and place it in a 275 F degree oven.



After about 2 hours, the meat should be tender and ready to shred.



Use a tongs or other utensil to "pull" the meat. Mix it well with the remaining braising medium.



And you're done.

A few ways I like to eat this include: on a plate with some beans and/or rice, on a tortilla or sandwich, in an omelette or even atop a salad.

=R=

Ronnie, that looks fabulous (could this be part of the yummy concoction of yours that I tried the other day? In which case, it is fabulous) I'm not as much of a sucker for heat as you, but I often poach up ancho chiles and puree them to add to our regular chile con carne (I doubt it's lowfat, but I do try to make it light on the meat and heavy on the beans) They add a smoky flavor and beautiful color that's impossible to replicate.

Thanks for the beautiful blow-by-blow.

Mhays wrote:Ronnie, that looks fabulous (could this be part of the yummy concoction of yours that I tried the other day? In which case, it is fabulous) I'm not as much of a sucker for heat as you, but I often poach up ancho chiles and puree them to add to our regular chile con carne (I doubt it's lowfat, but I do try to make it light on the meat and heavy on the beans) They add a smoky flavor and beautiful color that's impossible to replicate.

Thanks for the beautiful blow-by-blow.

Thanks, Mhays, for the kind words. What you tasted was this pork mixture, combined with some heirloom beans from Rancho Gordo (can't remember the name of the variety), then topped with chihuahua and cotija and baked off for about 45 minutes at 350 F. I normally don't get that extravagant but hey, it was a party!

=R=

Man, oh man... And I already HAD dinner! Any leftovers?

Seriously: great step-by-step, complete with illustrations. Pretty close to what I do, but some variations that look well worth experimenting with. As I recall saying to the Swedish Chef, put me down for three copies when the book comes out. Enjoyable, instructive, and (I'll bet) delicioso. Thanks for posting.

ronnie_suburban wrote:And you're done.

Ronnie,

You may be "done" but I'm guessing you have kicked many an LTHer off on a new culinary adventure.

Great post!

Enjoy,
Gary

Truly a gorgeous post, Ronnie!

And without a pickled beet in sight...

ronnie_suburban wrote:you can add some of that leftover beer

I know not of this concept you call "leftover beer." Never seen it, never experienced it in my kitchen.

Otherwise, great, Bridgestone-esque cooking lesson.

nr706 wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:you can add some of that leftover beer

I know not of this concept you call "leftover beer." Never seen it, never experienced it in my kitchen.

Otherwise, great, Bridgestone-esque cooking lesson.

LOL, I pale in comparison to Bridgestone, who is the master!

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:For this batch, I used about 4.5 pounds of pork tenderloin. It's not the leanest choice but it's a good compromise. You could use chicken (I often use boneless, skinless thighs) or even beef.

Beautiful presentation, Ronnie.

If you weren't compromising, what would your "carne" of choice be?

I was thinking along the lines of doing this recipe with pork shoulder, or even a big old fat beef pot roast---Or even beef flank steak for the Ropa-Vieja-ish effect.

I'd be curious to hear of your experiences and results with these types of meat.

cito wrote:Beautiful presentation, Ronnie.

If you weren't compromising, what would your "carne" of choice be?

I was thinking along the lines of doing this recipe with pork shoulder, or even a big old fat beef pot roast---Or even beef flank steak for the Ropa-Vieja-ish effect.

I'd be curious to hear of your experiences and results with these types of meat.

Thanks, cito, for the kind comments. You pretty much nailed it -- pork butt/shoulder are great and I'm guessing that pot roast would be too, although, I've never attempted that. The only disadvantage with butt/shoulder is that you have to bone it out and piece it up to get an equivalent sear on the meat. I do think you could get the "Ropa-Vieja-ish effect" with pork tenderloin, too, by leaving it whole instead of cutting it into pieces.

=R=

This last weekend I did a similar dish out of Rick Bayless' "Mexican Kitchen" -- I'm too lazy to go get the book, but it was "Chile seasoned pot-roasted pork".
Rather similar results from very different prep:
1) Chiles were only ancho and pasilla, soaked untoasted (the book says that's unusual, but the way this Chiapeno dish is made)
2) Soaked chiles, with liquid, were blent (yes, it's a word) with an onion, garlic, powdered bay leaf, clove and allspice, plus cider vinegar
3) Pork shoulder is simmered, without a sear, after being cut into 3" slabs

It was supposed to get dry and crusty after 2 1/4 hours, but didn't -- it was quite wet. I removed a fair amount of the liquid, which meant that I didn't get as intense a flavor overall, I think. Some fresh chiles would have helped. We shredded it up for tacos, with some pickled red onion with habanero (more Yucatecan, but worked wonderfully) and cilantro.

Next time I tried this, I'd cook it uncovered, if it's supposed to dry out and concentrate flavors.

Muchos gracias Senor Suburban! did up a big pot of your recipe the other day, Fantastic! I used a 5lb. bone in shoulder(put that bone in the pot!) forgot the jalapenos at the grocery so I substituted chille morita /chipotle for the jalapeno. The Morita gave it just the right smokey bite and using the shoulder made for a totally pork-a-lucious chile infused gravy.
Here's a link for a for a similar recipe in green.
http://www.cyberbilly.com/meathenge/archives/000939.html

Awesome post Ronnie! But i couldn't help thinking -- the inside of your Le Creuset is so spotless!! LOL

viaChgo wrote:Awesome post Ronnie! But i couldn't help thinking -- the inside of your Le Creuset is so spotless!! LOL

LOL, hot pan, cold oil . . . food doesn't stick

=R=

JSM wrote:Muchos gracias Senor Suburban! did up a big pot of your recipe the other day, Fantastic! I used a 5lb. bone in shoulder(put that bone in the pot!) forgot the jalapenos at the grocery so I substituted chille morita /chipotle for the jalapeno. The Morita gave it just the right smokey bite and using the shoulder made for a totally pork-a-lucious chile infused gravy.
Here's a link for a for a similar recipe in green.
http://www.cyberbilly.com/meathenge/archives/000939.html

I have used moritas in the past and really do like their smokiness. I didn't use them this time because one key for me, especially in mid-winter, is using what I have on-hand, so I don't have to actually leave the house!

=R=

I got 2 butts (on sale at Strack for 99 cents a pound) and did this today. I have about 2/3 of it in my crock pot and 1/3 in my (very small) covered casserole dish. I took some small bits off the browned pork, and it tasted good. I added about 1/2 can chipotles in adobo, because I had it, and used serranos instead of jalapenos, seeded, because that's what the store had (should have just used one habanero instead, oh well).

I do plan to de-fat the liquid before mixing it back into the shredded meat.

Looking forward to eating this! Thanks for the detailed instructions.

leek wrote:I added about 1/2 can chipotles in adobo, because I had it, and used serranos instead of jalapenos, seeded, because that's what the store had . . .

At its heart, this is the key to this dish (at least as I think about it). Use what's on hand and never look back.

leek wrote:I do plan to de-fat the liquid before mixing it back into the shredded meat.

With butt (or some form of pot roast), that does seem like a good idea. With tenderloin, you could certainly do it but I don't think it's quite as critical.

leek wrote:Looking forward to eating this! Thanks for the detailed instructions.

I hope you enjoy it. My pleasure.

=R=

OK, so - yum!

I did some defatting, which was hard to do as the liquid wasn't really liquid This morning I scraped off more congealed fat from the solid parts.

It went back into the crock pot this am to do some more simmering. I don't think it had cooked enough yesterday (from around 3-7).

As to following the recipe, I did forget to toast the chiles in a pan (oops). It was quite flavorful, and interestingly, not very hot. I don't know the whole dried peppers used very well, but they seemed to impart more flavor than heat. The mixed New Mexico chile I have is hot, though not scorchingly so. But I did stand in the grocery store, iPhone in hand, looking at the recipe and making sure I had everything on the list

leek wrote:OK, so - yum!

Glad you liked it.

leek wrote:As to following the recipe, I did forget to toast the chiles in a pan (oops). It was quite flavorful, and interestingly, not very hot. I don't know the whole dried peppers used very well, but they seemed to impart more flavor than heat. The mixed New Mexico chile I have is hot, though not scorchingly so. But I did stand in the grocery store, iPhone in hand, looking at the recipe and making sure I had everything on the list

I think toasting the chiles adds a certain note to the flavor but I've also skipped (aka forgotten) that step in the past and still had great results. As for the heat, you're right. Anchos are not particularly hot but the guajillos and pasillas pack a bit more punch. If you'd like it hotter, I think you can adjust the ratio of chiles to acheive it or used some other varieties. The moritas mentioned above, are not only smokey but also hot and I like using them. I think it's just a matter of experimentation. When I first started messing with this, anchos, guajillos and pasillas were the chiles I had on hand, so they're the ones I ended up using (and I continue to use them because the heat level has been green-lighted by the entire family ). As time has passed since the first attempt, I've tried using other chiles, too. Sometimes I'll use a type that I've never used or seen before. Other times, whatever's in the cabinet gets used.

Again, so glad you enjoyed it.

=R=

I made this again, and once again, it turned out beautifully. This time I made sure I had more liquid, and it was easier to de-fat. In the spirit of the dish, though, I had no apple juice, so I used mango And for a bit of heat I tossed in one dried Arbol and one fresh Habanero (both seeded). I'm not sure I can tell the difference. It's going to become filling for Enchiladas tonight (and if they are good the recipe will go to the small household exchange).

I made a red sauce kind of improvising from a few on-line recipes -

one onion, one jalapeno, one garlic clove sauteed
1 can Ro-Tel, 1 can diced tomatoes
duck stock and water
1 canned chipotle
3 tbs tomato paste
5 dried (seeded and toasted) chiles I had on hand
cumin, oregano
a touch of sugar, a touch of cinnamon

simmered all day, then blended up with an immersion blender. It's a bit hot

I thought you might be interested in what Rick Bayless says about toasting the chilis:

An adobo sauce made with untoasted chilies is on-dimensional, allowing any bitterness in the chilies to step front and center. Dry-toasting gives a light complexity, but as we discovered in our testing, it offers nothing like the full roasty richness that comes from oil toasting.

He recommends toasting in a hot skillet with a film of oil for a few seconds on each side - until they turn color.

lougord99 wrote:I thought you might be interested in what Rick Bayless says about toasting the chilis:

An adobo sauce made with untoasted chilies is on-dimensional, allowing any bitterness in the chilies to step front and center. Dry-toasting gives a light complexity, but as we discovered in our testing, it offers nothing like the full roasty richness that comes from oil toasting.

He recommends toasting in a hot skillet with a film of oil for a few seconds on each side - until they turn color.

Great info, thanks. I'll be sure to try it out next time. It's definitely the season for this dish.

=R=

Ronnie,

I was invited to an all-chili potluck yesterday since I had had my eye on this recipe for a while, decided it would be a great time to try it out. I made a batch using some chunks of pork leg that I had in the chest freezer and a variety of dried chiles (the ones you mentioned + a few I had laying around). All in all, a delicious recipe. Thanks for sharing.

-Dan