Mexican Tinga Poblana
A classic from the Puebla region of Mexico, this stew combines tomatoes, onions, garlic, chorizo, chipotles and spices.
Method
Preheat oven to 190oC/375oF/ gas mark 5.
Soak the dried chipotle chillies in boiled water. Put the tomatoes, cut side up into a roasting dish in a single layer and drizzle them with the olive oil, sprinkle with the sugar, salt and pepper. Roast for 50 minutes so they become scorched and shrunken.
Remove the chorizo from its skin and break into small pieces. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and sauté the chorizo until well coloured. Use a slotted spoon to put them into a flameproof casserole dish and keep the lovely paprika rich fat in the pan. Brown the pork shoulder in the fat. Cook the meat in small batches as the water will release from the meat and you don’t want to steam/boil the meat, keep the temperature as high as possible. Be patient.
Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and put with chorizo into the casserole dish. Add more oil if needed and fry the onion until soft and brown, now add the crushed or chopped garlic. Once cooked, add to the casserole with the cumin, thyme, oregano, and enough stock to cover the ingredients. Simmer, partially covered for about 45 minutes or until the pork is nice and tender.
15 minutes before the cooking time is up, add the oven-baked tomatoes and any juice in the dish. Take the chillies out of the water and pour it into the casserole, chop off the stalks and deseed. Chop up the flesh of the chillies and add to the casserole. Cook for the remaining 15 minutes. You may wish to add a little more sugar.
To serve, pour the mixture into a big open dish and drop dollops of soured cream and guacamole all over the top, squeeze Lime juice over and sprinkle with the goats and coriander. Enjoy.
