New Mexican Chili Pork

This is chile colorado the New Mexico way: no tomatoes, no beans in the pot, and the star of the show is ground red chile pepper, not chili powder from a jar. Eight tablespoons of mild ground chile coat every cube of pork shoulder after browning, creating a thick, rust-red sauce that’s pure chile flavor with nothing to hide behind.

The technique is specific to New Mexican cooking. After browning the pork and stirring in the chile and oregano (Mexican oregano preferred for its earthier flavor), the broth goes in gradually, a little at a time, with stirring between each addition. This builds a smooth, velvety sauce instead of a thin, watery stew. One hour of uncovered simmering reduces everything into a thick, concentrated chile gravy.

The heat gets added at the end, off the heat, so you can control it precisely. Sprinkle ground hot chile over the surface, stir well, taste, and add more if you want it fiercer. Serve alongside a bowl of stewed pinto beans, not mixed in. In New Mexico, the beans stay on the side.

Pro Tips

• Brown the pork in its own rendered fat for deeper flavor. Add the cubes a few at a time so the pan stays hot
• Add broth gradually, stirring between additions. Dumping it all in at once makes a thin, watery sauce
• Use pure ground New Mexican red chile, not generic chili powder. They’re completely different products
• Add the hot chile off the heat at the end. This preserves its raw, sharp heat instead of cooking it mellow

Variations

• Use a blend of Hatch and guajillo chiles for a more complex, multi-pepper flavor
• Serve wrapped in warm flour tortillas as a burrito filling
• Top with diced white onion and a squeeze of lime for a classic New Mexican garnish