Ancho-And Chipotle-Rubbed Pork Loin
Submitted by Marci Lee
Smoky ancho and fiery chipotle chilies form a bold spice crust on tender pork loin, slow-roasted in a clay pot with sweet onions until fall-apart tender.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
8 hrsCOOK
1 hrsREADY
9 hrsThis is pork loin like you’ve never tasted: rubbed with a rough paste of toasted ancho and chipotle chilies, garlic, and warm spices, then left to marinate overnight so every fiber soaks up that smoky-sweet heat.
The magic happens in a clay pot where the pork steams in its own juices over a bed of sliced onions, emerging fork-tender with a mahogany crust.
A shot of bourbon in the marinade adds depth and a whisper of caramel sweetness that plays beautifully with the earthy chilies.
Chef Tips
- Toast those chilies: Three minutes in a 200°F oven wakes up dormant oils and intensifies their smoky flavor (you’ll smell it when it’s ready).
- Clay pot alternative: No clay pot? Use a Dutch oven, but start it in a cold oven as directed to prevent cracking.
- Marinate overnight: Eight hours gives the spice paste time to penetrate deep into the meat for maximum flavor.
- Rest before slicing: Ten minutes off the heat lets juices redistribute so they don’t run out onto your cutting board.
Ingredients
Directions
Toast the dried chilies by putting them in a preheated 200 degree oven for 3 minutes; you should smell them toasting when you open the oven door.
Remove the toasted chilies from the oven and open them up.
Remove and discard the seeds and stems.
Place the chilies in a bowl and cover with hot water.
When chilies are soft (after about 15 minutes), remove them from the water and place them in the work bowl of a food processor, along with the garlic, lard, cumin, cloves, salt, and pepper.
Pulse to make a rough paste.
Rub the paste all over the pork loin with your fingers.
Cover the rubbed pork and refrigerate for 8 hours.
Remove it from the refrigerator 1 hour before you’re ready to put it in the oven.
Make a bed of half the sliced onion in the clay pot.
Lay the marinated pork loin over it.
Cover the pork with the remaining onion.
Most clay pots call for soaking the lid and then placing the entire pot, with food inside, in a cold oven before turning on the heat.
Follow the instructions for your pot.
In any case, the oven should be set at 300 degrees.
Once the oven is hot, cook the roast for 1 hour.
Do not open the pot.
After an hour, remove the roast from the oven.
Let it sit in its broth for 10 minutes.
Slice the roast thinly and serve.
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