Yes, I’m traveling with a blogging bunch using “Flatbreads & Flavors: A Baker’s Atlas” as our Travel Guide.  This trip took everybody to the American Southwest.  I joined this group just in time to get in on the first recipe and believe me I could gush and totally bore you out of your mind telling you how way fabulous this meal was and will be again.  I know that for a fact, except that I’ve never found my husband boring especially when he’s repeating things like “I can’t remember when I’ve eaten a better dinner.”  “That was really excellent.”  “You out did your self with that one.”  I could bore you but he never bores me.

I’d like to keep this simple but I don’t think I can.  Couple of things you should know.

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• This is not Tex-Mex, it is not Mexican.  This is Southwestern.
• Southwester Cuisine:  Best characterized as fusion of rustic cooking from native people from New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, California and Mexico with a Spanish influence.  In Texas, we have Tex-Mex but it seems very far removed from the freshness and complexity of Southwestern Cuisine.
• The Pepper details:  Chili refers to a thick stew.  Chile refers to the Peppers.
• Even super hot peppers can be rendered cool.  A Pepper’s heat/spiciness is measured in Scoville Units.
• “Dried red New Mexico chiles are not particularly hot, but they are full of flavor and give the sauce depth as well as a beautiful color.”  ~ “Flatbreads & Flavors: A Baker’s Atlas”

That last is really key to the success and taste of the Pork dish on this trip to the Southwest.

Pueblo Chile-Bathed Pork
Carne Adobado (marinated meat)
Adapted from: FLatBreads & Flavors: A Baker’s Atlas by Jeffery Alford & Naomi Duguid
Serving Size: 8

11 red New Mexico chiles (dried guajillos), stems removed

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon Mexican oregano, dried
3 tablespoons oil
additional: 1 cup chicken broth & 1/2 cup red wine
Directions:

Cut pork into cubes, place in shallow casserole.

Chile Sauce: In blender combine chiles with seeds, water, salt, garlic and oregano & blend to a smooth paste.

Pour sauce over pork cubes/bites mixing to coat.
Marinate in fridge 12 to 24 hours.

Reserve marinade.  I had to add 1/2 cup wine (oh the shame-red was open) and 1 cup chicken broth to give it some liquid character.  You really want more of this sauce!

Heat oil in skillet over med-high heat.
Brown meat in small batches.  As red as this sauce is, I could not really see that the meat brown.  It browned for about 7 minutes a batch.
Pour reserved marinade over meat and simmer an hour.

Serve with

Blue Corn Tortillas

Recipe By: FLatBreads & Flavors: A Baker’s Atlas by Jeffery Alford & Naomi Duguid
Yield: 12 tortillas – 5-6 inch diameter

Ingredients:

200 grams blue cornmeal
1 1/2  cups water, boiling
3/4  cup AP flour –  part white whole wheat

Directions:

Pour boiling water over blue corn meal, stirring well.  Allow to sit for 30 minutes thus hydrating the corn meal.

Stir in 1/2 cup AP flour to the corn meal and then turn all out onto counter.  Using remaining 1/4 cup of flour, knead the dough several minutes.

Dough will be soft but not strong.
Return the dough to bowl covering it – shower cap – and allow to rest.  I mixed these early in the morning and place disks flattened in covered casserole.

Divide dough into 8, 10 or 12 rounds depending upon how big you want your tortillas to be.
Flatten each round with well floured hands.

Heat a heavy – cast iron is ideal – skillet over medium high heat until hot.  No oil in the skillet.

The dough will be sticky so flour hands and counter when handling the dough and now pat between hands, finally using a rolling pin to even the thickness.

Cook each tortilla one minute on a side until brown flecks appear on both sides.

Remove from skillet and wrap in towel to keep moist and soft until all tortillas are cooked.

Notes:

recipe calls for no salt, Hopi Indians say salt covers up the flavor of the corn.  These were easy to do and they were good BUT the pork way outshines them.

 In the photo gallery above in addition to the pork and the tortilla you’ll see a wonderful pico de gallo salad topping avocado, a smoking’ chipotle slaw and a chipotle orange chocolate cake that completed  the meal.

Baking Through Flatbreads and Flavors:  Heather: GirlChef, Karen: BakeMyDay, Natashya: LivingInTheKitchenWithPuppies, Astrid: Paulchen’sFoodBlog, Gretchen: Provecho Peru, Soepkipje.