Carne Adovada

Ok, this is a first for me since I’ve been blogging, but it’s my real passion… cooking. I recently purchased the Best of America’s Test Kitchen Best Recipes and Reviews 2010 magazine and saw a recipe that I knew I had to make right away. CARNE ADOVADA. If you’ve never heard of it, don’t feel left out, I hadn’t either. But I did know I would love it.

I altered the recipe just a bit by making my own chili powder and leaving out the recommended chipotle chile in adobo sauce. Since I made my own chili powder, I figured it would give the dish the boost it needed without the extra canned stuff. Don’t get me wrong, America’s Test Kitchen did the hard work by figuring out how to make this dish the best it could be with everyday items, so they get all the credit. I just wanted to give it my little spin and share the results with you.

This is one of those dishes that you can make beforehand and eat it later, because the longer you let the meat sit in this sauce, the more flavorful it will get. I served this with fresh corn tortillas, queso fresco and beans. Margaritas are optional for some, but not me. Plates are optional too. As soon as this came out of the oven, we were throwing it on corn tortillas and eating it over the sink. It's that good. Whether you want plates or a fancy drink, you make the call. Just make sure you give this a try.

So here we go:

Carne Adovada

(New Mexico Pork Chili)

Serves 6 to 8

¼      cup raisins

½      cup brewed coffee

1       (4 to 5-pound) boneless pork shoulder roast, fat trimmed to 1/8-inch thickness, and meat cut into 1 ½-inch chunks

         Salt and Pepper

1       tablespoon vegetable oil

2       onions, chopped medium (about 2 cups)

¼      cup unbleached all-purpose flour

½      cup chili powder (the recipe I used will follow)

1       teaspoon dried oregano

6       garlic cloves, minced

2 ½   cups low-sodium chicken broth

1       teaspoon grated lime zest plus 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

¼      cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the raisins and coffee in a small bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave until the liquid begins to boil, 1 to 3 minutes; let stand for 5 minutes, until the raisins are plump.

2. Pat the pork dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half of the pork, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining pork.

3. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the Dutch oven. Add the onions and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the flour, chili powder, oregano, and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the broth and the raisin mixture, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to a boil. Working in 2 batches, transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Return the sauce to the pot.

4. Add the browned pork to the sauce in the pot and transfer to the oven. (At this point I put a piece of parchment paper under the lid to make a good seal during braising time.) Cook, covered, until the pork is fork-tender, about 2 hours. Skim the sauce, then stir in the lime zest, lime juice, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve. (The chili can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Chili Powder

From the Professional Chef, The Culinary Institute of America, 8^th edition

Makes 2 oz/57 g

1 ½ oz/43 g     dried chiles, ground (I used New Mexican chiles)

½ oz/14 g        ground cumin

1 tsp/2 g          dried oregano

½ tsp/1 g         garlic powder

¼ tsp/0.50 g    ground coriander

¼ tsp/0.50 g    ground cloves (optional)

1. Combine all the spices, including the cloves, if desired.

2. Place in a tightly sealed container and use within 1 month.

El Rodeo

Do you ever just feel like doing what you want to do and then doing it? That’s how I’ve felt lately when it comes to writing about some of my favorite places to eat.

Some people don’t get into this type of thing, but I do, and a lot of people I know do as well.

That’s a waste of time…

You’re going to get fatter doing that…

It’s just not healthy…

You’re going to spend too much money!

All of the feelings these comments give me dissolve when I get to tell people publicly how much I love a certain restaurant and how much they’re gonna love it too.

On some of the blogs and reviews I’ve been reading, people get really critical of certain places and they seem like they’re really not enjoying themselves. That’s not the approach I’m going for. Most, if not all establishments, have positive attributes about them. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t still be open. I’ll let the market decide whether a place should keep it’s doors open or not. That not my job, or passion. I want to tell people how great places are and reasons to enjoy going to them.

Today I went out to lunch. I wasn’t planning on doing it and my wife and I even talked about all the reasons I shouldn’t go out and why I should come home for lunch. Have you ever had this discussion? Well, guess what? It didn’t work out as planned.

It was amazing! The stars aligned, paths crossed and one of my favorite lunch-time eateries had such a strong gravitational pull that I couldn’t break loose. I started digging in my pockets for dollars and loose change. I was getting close… I had four dollars. I thought to myself, “That’s not enough for a tip.” Look in the ashtray… another five dollars! I’m all set for one of the best cheap lunch specials in town. I’m going to El Rodeo in Speedway.

I may sound crazy, because a lot of people say they don’t like this place very much, but to me, it’s some of the best cheap food I’ve ever had.

$3.99 Special!!! Let me say it again… $3.99 Special!!!

It’s hard to get out of a fast food restaurant for that price and this stuff is made by hand with loving care by some of the best guys and gals from South of the border. Fresh salsa, great chips, flavorful ingredients – and they’re service is lightning-fast too. More times than not, the salsa is pretty spicy... that's a good thing in my book. El Rodeo has got handling a busy lunch down to a science. The place starts getting packed shortly after 11 a.m. and it’s still full at 1 a.m. Even during the busiest rush, the service doesn’t suffer.

Today was no different. I got there at 12:30 p.m. and the place was packed, but I still got seated right away at a nice little table close to the big screen TV. Watching TV isn’t why I came here, but catching ESPN in the early afternoon never hurt anyone.

The look of the place has really changed in the last couple of years. They have all new murals painted on the walls of tough looking Mexican bull riders and their hot little Latin maidens. The place is just downright cool. And the outdoor seating… I didn’t even tell you about that. It’s huge, with wrought iron tables and colorful umbrellas. There’s so much foliage around that it feels like a tropical oasis.

Enough of the environment… Let’s get to the food. I usually come on Wednesday’s or Thursday’s. This being a Wednesday, #5 was the lunch special. $3.99! I always go for the chicken, so the lunch came with a chicken taco, a chicken burrito, and a side of Spanish rice. The plates are always filled up and covered in creamy Mexican cheese. Awesome!

Each table has a selection of hot sauces based on taste and they help accentuate the great flavors in the food. If you couldn’t tell by now, I’m in love with this place and you might be too, if you give it a shot. I try to come here every week or so. I wouldn't want to eat here more frequently than that, or I might get a little pudgy around the middle. (That's a joke for those of you who know me; I'm "portly-wide.")

Atmosphere: Nice, clean and relaxing even during the lunch rush.

Service: Extraordinary... really. They need to sell their system of service to other restaurants. The servers are always friendly and they get your food out in a flash. That's a huge plus if you're trying to grab a fast lunch.

Overall: Good, inexpensive food that tastes great and will fill you up.

Special Note: I didn't take many pictures because I feel like I need to respect the place. I've been eating here since before my kids were born. I love it and I'm looking forward to many more years of belly-filling experiences here. Enjoy!