Pork Stew Stacked in Corn Tortillas
Asado de Puerco con Empalmes
Recipe Yield
6 servings
Cooking time
1 hour
Rate this recipe
Ingredients
For the asado de puerco:
- 3 pounds pork loin fat on, cut into 3/4” cubes
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 peeled garlic cloves
- 10 whole allspice
- 1 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt
For the chile sauce:
- 4 ancho chiles stemmed and seeded
- 4 guajillo chiles stemmed and seeded
- 1 pound ripe Roma tomatoes
- 2 unpeeled garlic cloves
- 1 thick slice of a white onion about 2 ounces
- 1 jalapeño or serrano chile
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt or to taste
- Rind of an orange
To make empalmes (corn stacks):
- Corn tortillas
- Frijoles con Veneno to taste
To Prepare
To make the asado de puerco:
- Place the meat in a large, heavy casserole. In a piece of cheesecloth, wrap the bay leaves, 2 peeled garlic cloves, and the whole allspice. Tie with a piece of kitchen twine and place over the pork. Cover the pork with water and add 1 teaspoon salt. Give it a stir. Set over high heat and let it come to a boil. Remove any foam that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat to medium high and continue cooking until water has completely cooked off, about 45 minutes.
To make the chile sauce:
- Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. On a preheated comal or medium skillet set over medium heat, toast the ancho and guajillo chiles for about a minute per side. Until they toast, change color and begin to fume, but don't let them burn. Transfer them to a small saucepan and cover them generously with water. Place over medium-high heat and let cook for about 10 minutes, until they plump up and rehydrate. Turn off the heat and set aside.
- On the same comal, place the tomatoes, 2 unpeeled garlic cloves, onion and jalapeño. Let them cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, and flip every 2 to 3 minutes as they char (alternatively you roast or char them under the broiler or on a grill for a similar amount of time). Once the skin is completely charred, and the tomatoes are very mushy and the onion and jalapeño are very soft, transfer them all to the jar of a blender, making sure to remove the skin of the charred garlic cloves. Add the rehydrated ancho and guajillo chiles along with 1 cup of their simmering liquid, an additional cup of water, the oregano, cumin seeds, and 1 teaspoon salt. Purée until completely smooth.
- Once the water has completely cooked off from the pork, remove the cheesecloth packet and let the meat cook in its own fat for about 3 to 4 minutes, until it has browned on all sides. You may add a bit of lard or oil if the pork didn't have much fat to begin with.
- Reduce the heat to medium low and add the chile sauce. Stir well and incorporate the orange rind. Let it cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and seasoned and the pork is completely tender. The stew should be very saucy.
To make the empalmes:
- For crunchy empalmes - In a skillet or comal preheated over medium heat, place a couple of corn tortillas and spread a tablespoon of Frijoles con Veneno on each tortilla. Top them generously with asado de puerco and cover with another corn tortilla on top. Let the tortillas gently brown on the bottom for about a minute or two. Gently flip and let them brown on the other side for a minute or two. You have a single-stack empalme. If you want a double-stack empalme, add one tortilla, frijoles, asado, another tortilla, frijoles, asado, and another tortilla on top.
- For a soft empalme platter - Serve a hot corn tortilla on a plate, spread Frijoles con Veneno onto the tortilla, and add a generous amount of asado de puerco on top. Then add 3 to 4 more warm corn tortillas on top of the asado.
Comments
18comments inPork Stew Stacked in Corn Tortillas
Gail G Houllion
Sep 09
Hello Patti –
Am I missing the orange rind in the recipe?
Pati Jinich
Oct 05
You add it once you have cooked the meat and added the sauce Gail, it is in the last paragraph of how to make the chile sauce in the full recipe “Reduce the heat to medium low and add the chile sauce. Stir well and incorporate the orange rind.”
Alma
Apr 28
Second time making this and I love it! I also made the poison beans, yum. My mom would be proud. Love your recipes Pati and your show tambien.
Pati Jinich
Jun 05
Mil gracias! So happy to hear you have been tuning in and cooking some of the show’s recipes, yay!
Phillip Holmes
Feb 12
Patti
What if you really don’t like allspice can you use less or leave out?
Pati Jinich
Mar 08
I would just leave it out Phillip 😉
Elisa Estrada Young
Jan 08
Hi Pati, I LOVE you and love your show! I want to make this recipe, looks amazing!!! I was wondering if you like using pork loin better than pork shoulder for this recipe, and also why. I have always known shoulder to be more tender. Thanks so much!❤💕
Pati Jinich
Jan 30
I love pork shoulder and you can use it in this recipe as well Elisa 🙂
John Irizarry
Oct 22
Pati,
Could you please supply me with the famous place you got the torta from in Monterrey? I will be visiting there in mid November and would love to try it.
Pati Jinich
Oct 29
Of course John! I got this super famous tortas at the Stadium of the Rayados, one of the two famous soccer teams from Monterrey. Enjoy!
jim york
Oct 12
Great recipe! Made it with your roasted tomato rice and of course a cold beer.
Pati Jinich
Oct 24
Of course! So glad you enjoyed it Jim 🙂
Mara Thompson
Oct 06
I made this for dinner tonight. Oh my goodness, it’s absolutely delicioso! My husband made a torta. Spread the beans with a cotija cheese sprinkle on the the torta roll, topped with the pork stew and added sliced aguacate and cilantro. I did the same with corn tortillas. Muchas gracias por la receta.
Pati Jinich
Oct 24
Yummy, yummy in a torta right?
Lorraine
Oct 05
Delicious! I only used 3 Ancho and 3 guajillo chilies for my heat preference and it turned out great!
Thank you for the recipe Pati!
Pati Jinich
Oct 24
My pleasure, glad you liked it!
Shelley Flores
Oct 02
I made it and my family loved it! I hate to cook but, I saw the episode and thought…I think I can do. I’m so proud of myself!!!! ☺️ Thank you Patti ❤️
Pati Jinich
Oct 18
And I am so proud of you Shelley, well done!