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Pork and Red Chili Stew
This is a simple Mexican-inspired pork stew of earthy dried red chilies, sweet-tart tomatoes and warm spices. With a little cider vinegar to brighten up and balance the richness of the braise, the sauce echoes the flavor profile of classic Mexican adobo. We include two types of chilies here: guajillos, which are red, barely spicy and have a tangy-fruity flavor, plus anchos, which are darker and have notes of tobacco and raisins. For convenience, we reach for canned tomatoes instead of fresh, in particular the fire-roasted variety that brings hints of smokiness. Pressure-cooked for less than 30 minutes or slow-cooked for a few hours, the finished pork is succulent and tender enough to yield to a fork. Serve with rice and beans, and offer warm tortillas on the side. To bring fresh, cool contrast, garnish servings with shredded cabbage or sliced avocado.
4 - 6
Servings
Tip
Don’t hesitate to break open the chilies, if needed, to remove the seeds. Anchos, especially, can sometimes be firm and stiff. If they are, breaking open the pods might be make it easier to remove the seeds. The chilies are soaked and then blended, so it does not matter if they’re whole or in smaller pieces.
FAST: 1½ hours
Slow: 4½ - 5½ hours
30 minutes
Ingredients
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3
medium guajillo chilies, stemmed and seeded
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2
medium ancho chilies, stemmed and seeded
Directions
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01Add 2 cups water to a 6-quart Instant Pot, select Normal/Medium Sauté and bring to a simmer. Stir in the chilies, press Cancel and cover (no need to lock the lid). Let stand for about 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chilies to a blender; discard the liquid. To the blender, add the tomatoes with juices, garlic, vinegar, oregano, cumin, ¾ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute, then pour the puree into the pot. Stir in the pork, bay and cinnamon, then distribute in an even layer.
Reviews
October 11, 2025
Solid. Simple.
Went a little off script and used pork tenderloin but went slow cooker method. I cooked down the sauce twice as long since it wouldn’t have the suppleness of the liquid coming off pork shoulder. Still great flavor and wasn’t too dry. I like your carne adovada recipe better but this was super simple and I’d do it again easily.
April 9, 2025
Excellent stew
I doubled the recipe due to too much meat. For convenience, for the double recipe I used 1T extra hot red chili powder, 1T guajillo chili powder, and 1T chipotle chili powder. I actually cooked this on the stovetop for 5-6 hours and thickened it with a bit of flour because I had added some water to avoid scorching. It was excellent… but we tend to like food pretty spicy. All spices mentioned are available from My Spice Sage.
March 12, 2025
Tasty, works fine in a regular pressure cooker
I made a roughly 1. 5x batch with about 5 pounds of meat in my stovetop pressure cooker. My daughter was helping and put in triple the cumin (mixed up teaspoons and tablespoons) but it turned out just fine.
March 9, 2025
Another great Milk Street recipe
This was a huge hit with the family -- followed the recipe very closely. I thought the diced tomatoes may have given it a slightly sweeter flavor than I preferred. I haven't made the Milk Street Carne Adovada recipe yet, but I'm now motivated to make it (and possibly convert it into an Instant Pot recipe) and compare it to this recipe.
November 12, 2025
Kind of bland
This one was a miss for me. Made the slow version as directed and it came out just a little blind with a background of heat.
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