Mexican · main

Pork Chile Colorado

Pork Chile Colorado reads umami 5.7, richness 5.4 and sourness 5.3 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Mexican main, about 2 hr 41 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 6.3 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 3.5 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 6.8 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.7 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.5 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.3 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 5.7 · Richness 5.4 · Sourness 5.3 · Citrus 5.1 · Salinity 4.7 · Allium 3.6 · Heat 3.4 · Sweetness 2.8 · Herbaceous 2.6 · Fruity 2.4 · Earthy 2.3 · Warm Spice 2.2 · Bitterness 1.4 · Funk & Ferment 1.2 · Smoke 1.1 · Floral 0.7

What's in it (16)

• boneless pork — 1361 g
• salt — 7 g
• black pepper — 3 g
• vegetable oil — 27 g
• dried arbol chiles — 30 g
• ancho chiles — 15 g
• white onion — 110 g
• garlic — 12 g
• italian-style diced tomatoes — 411 g
• low-salt chicken broth — 710 g
• dried leaf oregano — 1 g
• cumin — 3 g
• bay — 2 g
• apple cider vinegar — 15 g
• cilantro — 7 g
• lime — 65 g

Time & effort: about 2 hr 41 min (2 hr 26 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 83.9 kcal, 10.5 g protein, 3.4 g fat, 2.7 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

1. Pat the pork chunks dry and season all over with the salt and black pepper.
2. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat, and sear the pork in two batches until deeply browned on all sides, 3-4 minutes per side; transfer to a plate.
3. Add the guajillo and ancho chiles to the same pot and toast over medium heat, pressing flat with a spatula, until fragrant and pliable but not scorched, about 45 seconds per side; transfer to a heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water, and let soak until softened, 15 minutes.
4. Add the onion to the pot and saute until softened and lightly golden, 5-6 minutes; add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.
5. Drain the chiles, reserving the soaking liquid, and transfer them to a blender with the onion mixture, tomatoes, 1 cup of the broth, oregano, and cumin; blend until completely smooth, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve back into the pot, pressing on the solids to extract all the sauce.
6. Return the seared pork to the pot along with the remaining 2 cups broth and the bay leaves; bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pork shreds easily with a fork, 1 1/2 to 2 hours, adding reserved soaking liquid if the sauce looks too thick.
7. Uncover and continue to simmer until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 15-20 minutes.
8. Stir in the vinegar and season with additional salt to taste.
9. Discard the bay leaves, then serve the pork chile colorado hot, scattered with cilantro and with lime wedges alongside.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Pork Green Chile Stew — Tex-Mex · Southwestern
• Chicken Quesadillas with Melted Pepper Jack — Tex-Mex
• Chicken Tortilla Soup with Crispy Strips — Mexican
• Sheet-Pan Steak Fajita Nachos Bake — Tex-Mex
• Spiced Lamb and Rice Stuffed Cabbage — Middle Eastern

Keep reading: what umami, richness, sourness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.