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MAMA RITA’S RECIPE COLLECTION

Pork with Chile Pasado

Carne de cerdo con chile pasado

Roasted, dried green chile gives this pork stew its distinctive northern flavor. Chile pasado and pasilla are different ingredients.

From the family’s collected recipes · English home-kitchen adaptation

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Yield
6 servings
Preparation
25 minutes
Cooking / elapsed time
1½–2 hours

Ingredients

  • 1 kg (2¼ lb) boneless pork shoulder, cubed
  • 60 g dried chile pasado
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 4 medium tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon lard or neutral oil
  • 2 cups unsalted broth or water, plus more as needed
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • Optional: ½ cup plain tomato purée for a fuller sauce

Method

  1. Rehydrate the chile.

    Cover chile pasado with hot water for 20–30 minutes, until pliable. Remove stems, seeds, and any tough peel; cut into strips.

  2. Tenderize the pork.

    Brown pork in lard. Add broth and half the salt, cover, and simmer 60–90 minutes, until almost fork-tender. Add water if needed.

  3. Build the sauce.

    Uncover and let excess liquid reduce, retaining about ½ cup. Add onion and cook 5 minutes, then garlic for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, chile strips, pepper, remaining salt, and optional purée.

  4. Finish.

    Simmer 20–30 minutes until pork is tender and tomatoes form a sauce. Add broth as needed and adjust seasoning. Serve with flour tortillas and beans.

Kitchen notes

If chile pasado is unavailable

Use 5–6 roasted, peeled Anaheim chiles as a fresh alternative; the dried-chile character will be different. Do not substitute dried pasilla by name alone.

For cooked dishes, cool promptly and follow the storage and reheating guide. Follow the shorter storage directions above where given.