Sonoran Carne con Chile

Name: Sonoran Carne con Chile
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 45 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 3 pounds venison neck or shoulder or shank; salt; 1 quart venison or beef stock; 4 bay leaves; 1 hoja santa leaf; 1 onion, quartered; 3 cloves garlic, smashed; 2 to 4 dried chiles morita; 10 to 15 guajillo, New Mexican, California or similar mild, red, dried chile; 1 tablespoon cumin seeds; 1 white onion; 5 cloves garlic; 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano; 2 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil; salt and black pepper to taste

User Reviews

5.0

12 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
45 mins
Cook Time
3 hrs
Total Time
3 hrs 45 mins
Servings
6 servings
Calories
543 kcal
Course
Main Course, Lunch
Cuisine
Mexican

Sonoran Carne con Chile

Elizabeth Hodge

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While I use venison here, you can use beef, goat, lamb or jackrabbit. It should be a dark meat. Keep in mind that while there is a fair amount of prep here, almost all of it can be done in stages over several days if you want, and once it's all made, you can eat off it for days.

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Ingredients

Servings

MEAT

3 pounds venison neck or shoulder or shank
salt
1 quart venison or beef stock
4 bay leaves
1 hoja santa leaf (optional)
1 onion, quartered
3 cloves garlic, smashed

CHILE SAUCE

2 to 4 dried chiles morita (or chipotles from a can)
10 to 15 guajillo, New Mexican, California or similar mild, red, dried chile
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 white onion, cut in quarters
5 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
2 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil
salt and black pepper to taste (smoked salt if you have it)

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Instructions

COOK THE MEAT

Optional smoking step. Salt the venison the night before you plan on smoking it and set in the fridge. The next morning, smoke the meat at 185°F for about three hours. I use mesquite here, but whatever wood you like will do.
Braise the Meat. Put all the other ingredients for the meat in a stewpot and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot. You can simmer this on the stovetop or in a 325°F oven.

MAKE THE SAUCE

Toast the Chiles. Heat a comal or flattop or large, heavy frying pan over medium-high heat. While the pan heats up, remove the stems and seeds from the dried chiles. Using a metal spatula, toast all the chiles quickly, pressing on them to flatten. They will get pliable quickly. You'll only need about 30 seconds per side, and you can flip them back and forth if you want. Do not let them char or burn. Move them as you go to a large bowl. When they are all toasted, pour boiling water over them to soak.
Continuing, you will want to spread the cumin seeds on the hot comal. Let them toast, moving them more or less constantly, until they smell nice, about a minute or two, tops. Move them to a spice grinder and grind to a powder. Can you use ground cumin? Sure, but it won't be as good.
Now char the garlic and onion on the comal. Set them down on the hot surface and let them sit there until you get a nice char. You want blackening. Move them around to char on all sides. When they're ready, peel the garlic and roughly chop the onion.
Move the rehydrated chiles, onion, garlic, cumin, oregano and a healthy pinch of salt to the blender. Add a little soaking water or some braising liquid and puree. You want the sauce to have the consistency of heavy cream.
Optional Step: Push the sauce through a fine-meshed sieve to remove small bits of chile skin and seeds. They are not digestible, and doing this step makes a smoother sauce, and, well, largely prevents the "ring of fire" the following morning...
Heat a pot over medium heat and add the lard. When the lard is hot, pour the sauce in and stir, stir, stir until the fat emulsifies. Bring it to a very gentle simmer and keep warm.

TO FINISH

Once the venison is tender, somewhere between 90 minutes and 3 hours or so -- you'll know when you can pull it apart fairly easily with two forks -- time to serve. I like to pull the meat into largish pieces and put it in the sauce pot to bathe for a few minutes before serving.

Nutrition Information

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Calories 543kcal (27%) Carbohydrates 13g (4%) Protein 87g (174%) Fat 14g (22%) Saturated Fat 8g (40%) Cholesterol 256mg (85%) Sodium 503mg (21%) Potassium 1209mg (35%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 5g (10%) Vitamin A 1827IU (37%) Vitamin C 6mg (7%) Calcium 68mg (7%) Iron 13mg (72%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 543 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories	543kcal	27%
Carbohydrates	13g	4%
Protein	87g	174%
Fat	14g	22%
Saturated Fat	8g	40%
Cholesterol	256mg	85%
Sodium	503mg	21%
Potassium	1209mg	26%
Fiber	3g	12%
Sugar	5g	10%
Vitamin A	1827IU	37%
Vitamin C	6mg	7%
Calcium	68mg	7%
Iron	13mg	72%