Once hot, add the pork chunks, onions, and garlic. Stir and sear the pork for 10-15 minutes, until brown on all sides. Pour the red chile sauce back into the pot. Add the cumin, oregano, and bay leaves. Get the Complete (Printable) Carne Adovada Recipe + VIDEO Below. Enjoy!
Ancho chiles are the mildest in flavor, Pasilla chiles tend to be moderately spicy, and Guajillo and New Mexico Hatch chile can be quite hot. All of these red chiles have a great smoky flavor you want in Carne Adovada, so just use whatever combination fits your tastes…
Spray a large, heavy Dutch oven with cooking oil. (This pot will be placed in the oven.) Transfer the pork pieces to the Dutch oven and pour enough red chile over the meat to coat the meat when stirred. (See Kitchen Notes for Amount of red chile. Any extra red chile can be used to “smother” the carne adovada after serving.)
No matter when you eat it, serve carne adovada with corn tortillas. Note that you want to use a fatty, "tough" cut like the butt/shoulder for this stew since the meat will become more tender from the long, slow cooking. Dried ground New Mexican red chile powder is available at Chimayo To Go.