Red Chile Sauce & Carne Adovada

3/4c. New Mexican red chile powder

2lbs. pork stew meat

1 3/4c. chicken stock

1/2 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2tsp. dried oregano

3/4tsp. cumin

3/4tsp. coriander

1tsp. ground cloves

1tbs. lime juice

1 1/2tsp. cider vinegar

sea salt to taste

This is a two-for-one on recipes-- the sauce that you'll be marinating the pork in is the same red chile sauce that goes so well over enchiladas, juevos rancheros, omelets, in chocolate or straight off the spatula... Hi, I'm a New Mexican and I have a chile addiction.  I'm far from alone in this; the state question is "Red, Green or Christmas?" and we're not talking about favorite colors or holidays.  Making carne adovada is something that brings me home without leaving the kitchen, and to throw me into even more of a nostalgic haze, I paired this New Mexican dish with one from my time in Panama: yucca fries, perfect for sopping up stray red chile sauce.  So if you've got some time for marinating and stewing, track down some real New Mexico chile, get your hands on some yucca, and come home with me.

In a saucepan, saute the onion in olive oil over medium-low heat until translucent.  Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, then add the rest of the ingredients except the pork and simmer on low for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Let cool slightly and puree.  Spread the cubed pork stew meat in a casserole dish and pour the red chile sauce through a strainer over the meat; let marinate overnight in the fridge. Pour in a crock pot and cover completely with water about two inches over the meat and sauce.  Cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, until the pork is falling-apart tender.
For the yucca fries, just peel one of the roots from your local grocery (they should have some stashed away in a corner) and simmer it for 20 minutes or so.  Cut the root into spears and fry in olive oil over medium heat, then add sea salt to taste.
For a very international menu, serve your yucca fries and carne adovada with an appetizer of Bacon & Onion Grilled Guacamole on Plantain Chips, with gluten-free Tres Leches for dessert.