Cooking Cheap

There are lots of recipes for this. Mine is from “The Mexican Kitchen” by Rod Santana, plus my adaptatons.

2 pounds pork shoulder cubed.
Hot water
5 Ancho peppers.
4 Garlic cloves
1/8 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp oregano
6 black peppercorns
1/3 cup vinegar
Oil or Lard

Cover the meat with water in a frying pan, add salt and bring to a boil, uncovered. Lower heat and allow the meat to cook until dry. Turn it frequently until browned. This should take about 45 minutes. Cool and shred the meat.

Seed and devein the peppers. Let them soak in water for 10 to 15 minutes. Place peppers, garlic, cumin, oregano, peppercorns and vinegar in a blender. Blend until smooth. The sauce will be a thick paste.

If there is no fat left from cooking the meat in the frying pan, add some oil or lard. Mix the meat and chili sauce in the skillet. Cook on low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently. The result will be a dry filling that is often used in burritos. Will fill 10-12 tortillas.

My Notes:
I used boneless country ribs (they come from the shoulder) and cut them in 1 inch chunks. I’m guessing 45 minutes is not enough to evaporate the water. I soak the peppers first and then devein and deseed them.

If you can keep from sampling the pork while you shred it, you’re a saint for no good reason. Delicious.

I used 4 large Ancho’s. They were the largest ancho’s I’ve ever seen. I added two dried Chipotles. It took a lot of water to turn that into a smooth paste. It is a pretty strong sauce because those peppers were so large. I also had to use a little water when mixing with the meat. A very rich filling. I could have used fewer Anchos.