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4.8 from 15 votes

Easy Pork with Adobo Sauce

Here's an easy recipe for a big batch of savory shredded pork in adobo sauce -- perfect for tacos, burritos, tostadas, and even tortas!

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Servings: 8
Calories: 243 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. pork shoulder
  • 5 ancho dried chiles
  • 2-3 Guajillo dried chiles (or New Mexican)
  • 2 chipotles in adobo (optional)
  • 4 peeled garlic cloves
  • 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
  • freshly cracked black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons vinegar (I used white vinegar)
  • 2 tablespoons stock, or water
  • olive oil

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Chop up the pork shoulder into 1-2" chunks. Add it to a saucepan and cover with cold water. Add salt and any other aromatics you'd like to use (I used 1/2 onion for this batch). Bring it up to a boil, skim off and discard any foam, then lower heat to simmer, cover, and let cook for an hour or so. Note: I use low on my stove to simmer when covered.
  2. For the Adobo Sauce, start by wiping off any dusty crevasses on the dried chiles, then de-stem and de-seed them. Roast the chiles pieces in the oven (400F) for 1-2 minutes. Alternatively, you can flash roast them on a skillet over medium-high heat for 15-30 seconds per side.
  3. Add the roasted chile pieces to a mixing bowl and cover them with the hottest tap water you've got. Let the chiles reconstitute for a half hour or until you need them. If they float to the surface you can use a small bowl or plate to keep them submerged.
  4. The pork will be ready after cooking for an hour -- when it's close I start to build the Adobo Sauce. Drain the chiles and add them to a blender along with the remaining Adobo Sauce ingredients: 2 chipotles in adobo (optional), 4 peeled garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano, 1/4 teaspoon cumin (optional), 1/2 teaspoon salt, freshly cracked black pepper, 2 tablespoons white vinegar, 2 tablespoons stock or water (or the pork boiling liquid). Combine well. You may need to add additional splashes of liquid to get it to combine -- I added another few tablespoons of the pork boiling liquid until it combined into a thick, paste-like substance.
  5. Preheat a glug of oil (or lard) in a skillet over medium heat. Add the adobo sauce and cook for a few minutes, stirring regularly. Add 1/2 cup liquid and combine well -- you can use stock, water, or the pork boiling liquid.
  6. Shred the cooked pork using two forks and add it to the adobo mixture. Combine well and bring it up to temp. Feel free to add splashes of liquid if you think it needs it to combine. Salt to taste.
  7. Serve pork mixture immediately. Store leftovers in the fridge where it will keep for a few days.

Notes

  • There is plenty of leeway on the dried chiles.  You can use all Anchos if that's what you have available.  More info on working with Anchos.  
  • You may need to add additional splashes of liquid to get the Adobo Sauce to combine.  You can use stock, water, the chiles' soaking liquid, or the pork boiling liquid. 
  • You can use stock, water, the chiles' soaking liquid, or the pork boiling liquid. 
  • I used to strain the Adobo Sauce to get rid of any seeds but lately I skip this step. 

Nutrition Information

Calories 243kcal (12%) Carbohydrates 16g (5%) Protein 25g (50%) Fat 9g (14%) Saturated Fat 3g (15%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g Monounsaturated Fat 4g Cholesterol 76mg (25%) Sodium 267mg (11%) Potassium 809mg (23%) Fiber 7g (28%) Sugar 9g (18%) Vitamin A 5818IU (116%) Vitamin C 8mg (9%) Calcium 37mg (4%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 243

% Daily Value*

Calories 243kcal 12%
Carbohydrates 16g 5%
Protein 25g 50%
Fat 9g 14%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g 12%
Monounsaturated Fat 4g 20%
Cholesterol 76mg 25%
Sodium 267mg 11%
Potassium 809mg 17%
Fiber 7g 28%
Sugar 9g 18%
Vitamin A 5818IU 116%
Vitamin C 8mg 9%
Calcium 37mg 4%
Iron 3mg 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.