Carne adobada, blue cornbread
6 Servings
Ingredients
| Quantity | Ingredient | |
|---|---|---|
| ½ | cup | Caribe (crushed N. New Mexico hot red chile) |
| 2 | cups | Water |
| 1 | teaspoon | Salt |
| 2 | Cloves garlic | |
| 1 | tablespoon | Ground mexican oregano |
| 1 | tablespoon | Ground cumin (comino) |
| 2½ | pounds | Pork loin chops; 1/2\" thick, fat trimmed |
| 1 | tablespoon | Unsalted butter |
| 1 | cup | Blue cornmeal |
| 1½ | teaspoon | Baking powder |
| ¾ | teaspoon | Salt |
| 2 | Eggs | |
| ⅔ | cup | Unsalted butter; melted |
| 1½ | cup | Dairy sour cream |
| 1 | can | (1-lb) whole kernel corn; drained |
| 4 | ounces | Monterey Jack cheese cut in 1/4-inch thick slices |
| 4 | ounces | Cheddar cheese; cut in 1/4-inch thick slices |
| ½ | cup | Chopped onion |
Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Combine caribe, water, salt, garlic, oregano and cumin in food processor; process until well blended. Pour a little of chile puree into a 9x13-inch or other large baking pan, then add a layer of pork chops.
Add more puree, then remainin chops then remainer of puree. Cover and bake 30 minutes; uncover and bake 30 minutes more until sauce is thickened and meat is tender. Meanwhile, prepare cornbread: First, generously butter a 9-inch ring mold; line bottom of mold only with waxed paper. Butter paper.
In a large bowl, stir together cornmeal, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat eggs to blend, then beat in ⅔ cups melted butter and 1 cup sour cream. Combine egg mixture with dry ingredients and stir just until blended. Gently fold in corn. Pour ⅓ of batter into prepared ring mold, then alternate slices of Jack & Cheddar cheese on top of batter. Pour remaining ⅔ of batter and bake about 45 minutes until bread is golden brown on top and a wooden toothpick inserted in center (not down through cheese) comes out clean. Cool in mold on a cooling rack 10 minutes. When pork is tender, remove from oven. Remove & discard bones from chops and cut meat into ½-inch thick strips. Return meat strips to sauce in baking pan.
To serve, gently run a dull knife around edges of partially cooled cornbread; then invert onto a platter. Lift off mold and peel off paper.
Spoon ⅔ of pork mixture into center of ring; spoon remaining ⅓ around ring. Garnish pork mixture with chopped onion and ½ cup sour cream. Serve hot. Makes about 6 to 8 servings.
From the <Hotter Than Hell!>, by Jane Butel, ISBN 0-89586-646-3 (0-89586-542-4 paperback). Downloaded from Glen's MM Recipe Archive, .