Asado de Puerco, a pork stew using dried peppers. The first time I tried this dish was at the house of one of my aunts; she cooked it for New Year’s and served with flour tortillas.
– In a heavy pot, cover the pork with water, and cook over medium/high heat until the meat is tender and water has evaporated. This will take about 45-50 minutes. If the meat is still not soft and tender, add more water and keep cooking. Once the meat is tender, add the oil or lard and keep cooking until the meat is just browned and tender.
– While the pork is cooking, use your kitchen scissors to slice open the peppers. Remove the seeds, veins, and then slightly roast them for a few seconds on each side on a warm skillet, but do not allow them to burn.
– Put ¾ cups of water into the blender, a few of the chilies, garlic, cumin, oregano, peppercorns, bay leaves, cloves, thyme, cinnamon and the little piece of avocado seed, and blend for at least 1 minute.
Add a ½ cup of the soaking water and blend for a few more seconds to mix thoroughly. Add the rest of the chilies a little at a time and blend until smooth, adding more water as needed to mix thoroughly.
– Pass the sauce through a strainer and add to the pot with the meat. Cook over medium heat for 10 more minutes and stir frequently to prevent sticking. Add more water as needed, salt to taste, and keep stirring until the sauce thickens to the consistency of thick gravy. This will take about 15 minutes.