Nevertheless, he was excited to try to make a dish that as a kid he watched his mother make. He selected it because everyone in his native Zacatacas region of Mexico would know and love this dish called Asada de Poda, or literally translated, Mexican Wedding Stew.
It did involve a trip to my local Mexican market, but it was exciting to try new ingredients and unusual cooking techniques that turned out to be easier to pull off than expected. As Chris Ying said on the podcast: "I can't believe I made that!" Even though the dish could be called "mole light," just getting out of our comfort zones and having some new flavors forgave a lot and got positive reviews from the chefs, their families, and most of us who tried it at home.
My Paleo Marin Rating: 3 Persimmons*
Note: You will need a blender to make this dish. Planning ahead: If possible, mix the salt with the pork pieces and refrigerate overnight in a closed container, or salt and set aside for about 1 hour.
Ingredients:
2 pounds of pork shoulder, cut into thumb-sized or 1" pieces
1 tablespoon fine sea salt
Enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom of a dutch oven and rise up the sides about 1/4"; more as needed to fry the rolls and chilies
3 bolillos (Mexican rolls - see rolls in cellophane bag in my photo), torn into 4 pieces (substitute soft rolls if necessary)
Water to cover the fried bread
1 package dried New Mexico Chilies (2.5 oz.), tops cut off, sliced in half, and seeds removed (Note: For more heat, use dried chile chitacate or red chilies)
2 cinnamon sticks (1 if using Mexican chocolate)
1 cup of water
Peel of 1/2 orange
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 oz. Mexican chocolate bar such as Fervi if you can find it, or Guittard 65% chocolate bar, finely chopped
(Note: I used 70% chocolate and found it slightly too bitter - you could try a combo of 65% and 70%? Use personal preference as a guide)
1 bay leaf
1 package dried pasilla chilies (2 oz.), tops cut off, sliced in half, seeds removed, and chopped into pieces
Directions:
For a Dutch Oven or Frying Pan:
1. Heat the oil in a dutch oven or large frying pan until the tip of a piece of meat sizzles when dipped in the oil. Fill the bottom of the pot with a layer of meat, turning the pieces frequently, until they are cooked through, about 10-20 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl and set aside. Repeat until all the pieces of meat are cooked. Pork is done at an internal temperature of 145º F.
2. Add oil as necessary and reheat. Place the torn pieces of bread in the pan and stir frequently until all sides are browned, about 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Add water to cover the bread pieces and set aside to let the water absorb into the bread.
3. To fry the New Mexico chilis, add more oil as necessary and flash fry the chili pieces for no more than 5 seconds before removing them to a bowl. Do not burn them or you will have to throw them out and start over (a warning from Gustavo's late mother).
For the Blender:
4. Add the cinnamon sticks and 1 cup of water in the blender. Puree or pulverize the cinnamon until it is mixed with the water. Strain the juice into a large bowl; put the cinnamon solids in another small bowl.
5. Add the fried chilis to the blender along with 1 cup of water. Puree the chilis. Strain the juice into the bowl with the cinnamon water and place the chili residue in the small bowl with the cinnamon solids.
6. Add the fried bread pieces and their water to the blender; puree this mixture and then add it to the bowl with the cinnamon and chili juices. Stir to combine all ingredients.
7 Add the cinnamon and chili residues along with 1/2 cup of water to the blender. Puree, then strain into the large bowl with the other ingredients. Discard the rest of the solids.
To Put it All Together:
8. In a clean dutch oven or large frying pan, add the cooked pork. Ladle the puree over the pork until the proportions look right. I used all of it, but you can freeze any additional puree for a later use. Add the orange peel, sugar and chopped chocolate and stir until the chocolate melts. Taste for the amount of chocolate you like, as well if additional bittersweet chocolate would taste good to you. Add the bay leaf and piloncillo cilies. Bring to a low boil and stir frequently to allow excess water to boil off. When the sauce thickens, remove the orange peel and bay leaf. Taste for seasonings.
Serve warm over cauliflower rice or a bed of lettuce (for paleo). Serve 4-6.
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Recipe adapted from Recipe Club's Cinco de Mayo challenge here.
For video on the chef's making the dish, see the YouTube video here.
*My Paleo Marin Rating between 1-5 Persimmons
I try out these recipes so you don't have to (and modify them for Paleo where possible). The rating will reflect my opinion of the final result in terms of taste, ease of preparation, nutrition, and sometimes, cost.
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