I grew up in Monterrey, Mexico, and one of my favourite regional specialties is called Carne Seca, which is a special kind of dried beef. This is used to make several delicious dishes like Machacado con Huevo, a popular breakfast dish, or Caldillo de Res, a delicious meaty soup.
Why am I talking about beef if this recipe is about pork? Well, this recipe was born out of my craving for that caldillo that I ate many times in my hometown. I live in Canada, and unfortunately, our Customs department won't let any type of beef come into the country without special permits, and the couple of times I tried to bring back some carne seca - after declaring it - it was promptly confiscated. Imagine my frustration!
When a craving hits, nothing will do until it gets satisfied and this is where the pork comes in.
The caldillos of my memories are made with finely shredded dried beef cooked in a rich broth flavored with tomatoes and chiles. A very simple dish, but full of flavor thanks to that dried beef. I decided to try and re-create that dish using fresh pork instead, and let me tell you, it turned out delicious!
Get your hands on a nice chunk of pork shoulder and cook that until the meat is very tender. Then shred it and use that as if it were carne seca. Then simmer that shredded pork in a salsa made of tomatillos, tomatoes, aromatics and chiles. The result is a very well rounded dish that will be homey and comforting on a cool Autumn evening.
As with many Mexican dishes, the garnishes form a very important part of the recipe, and in this case, the crema and avocado, along with the fiery piquín chiles just take the dish over the top.
Make a big batch of Caldillo de Puerco and get ready for a Mexican fiesta!
CALDILLO DE PUERCO
Pork Stew, Monterrey Style
Pork:
1.5 kg bone-in pork shoulder roast
8 cups cold water
1 large onion, cut in chunks
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tsp black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
Sauce:
1 ancho chile, seeded and de-veined
2-4 serrano or Jalapeño chiles
2 large tomatoes
8 tomatillos, husked and washed well
1 tsp kosher salt
To finish the dish:
1 Tbsp vegetable oil or lard
1 kg shredded pork (from roast)
2 medium onions, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp Mexican oregano
Garnish:
Toasted piquín chiles
Avocado wedges
Crema
Lime wedges
In large stock pot, place pork roast, water, onion chunks, garlic cloves, black peppercorns and bay leaves. Turn heat to medium high and bring to a slow boil. Turn temperature down to simmer and cook, partially covered and skimming off foam periodically, for 2-3 hours, or until meat is very tender (this can be done in a slow cooker on low for 8 hours, or in a pressure cooker at high pressure, for 45 minutes).
Remove meat from broth and when it’s cooled down a bit, shred into small pieces, removing all fat. Strain broth, remove the fat and reserve 2 ½ cups for recipe (any leftover broth makes a great base for a soup).
Meanwhile, place seeded and de-veined ancho chile in a small bowl. Cover with boiling water and let sit for 15 minutes, or until it’s soft and pliable. Drain off soaking water and reserve.
On comal or foil-covered tray, place tomatoes, tomatillos and chiles. Broil for 10 minutes and turn vegetables over. Broil for another 5 minutes or until all vegetables are nicely charred.
In blender container, place rehydrated ancho chile and roasted tomatillos, tomatoes and chiles. Blend until smooth.
In Dutch oven heat vegetable oil or lard and cook onions over medium high heat for 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add garlic and cook another two minutes. Add sauce and bring to a boil. Turn temperature down to simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Add shredded pork, ground cumin, Mexican oregano and 2 ½ cups of pork broth. Simmer, stirring every so often, for 30-45 minutes. Adjust seasoning and add more salt if needed.
Serve hot with tortillas, toasted piquín chiles, avocado wedges and a drizzle of crema and a splash of lime juice.
Serves 6.