Asado De Rancho Autentico (Authentic Ranch-Style Pork Stew)

Steps

▶ Tap a timecode to jump to roughly that moment in the video.

1. 1
   Toast the sesame seeds in a dry earthenware pot or clay pot without oil, covering it to prevent splattering. Shake occasionally until they are golden brown, then remove from the pot.
   ▶ ≈1:11
2. 2
   In the same pot, toast the pumpkin seeds without covering, stirring constantly to prevent burning until they are crispy and fragrant.
   ▶ ≈1:54
3. 3
   Add oil to the pot and fry the salted crackers until golden. Slide the pot slightly away from the heat to prevent burning. Once the crackers are crispy, add the toasted spice seeds (cumin, cloves, allspice, black pepper), toast together, then remove everything from the pot.
   ▶ ≈2:09
4. 4
   Remove seeds from the poblano chiles and cut them into large pieces. Slice the serrano and jalapeño chiles. Fry all the prepared chiles in oil over medium heat until they are caramelized and fragrant.
   ▶ ≈2:35
5. 5
   Add the tomatoes and garlic to the same pot and fry until the tomatoes soften and caramelize. Pour in a splash of water, bring to a boil briefly, then remove from the pot and set aside.
   ▶ ≈3:40
6. 6
   In a separate pot, combine the pork pieces, bay leaf, a piece of onion, and garlic cloves. Cover with water and add salt. Simmer until the pork is tender, then continue cooking until most of the liquid evaporates and the meat begins to brown.
   ▶ ≈4:31
7. 7
   Using a molcajete (mortar), hand-grind the toasted sesame seeds until coarsely ground.
   ▶ ≈5:35
8. 8
   Working in two batches, blend the fried chiles, tomatoes, pumpkin seeds, crackers, garlic, onion, and half the cilantro in a food processor or blender with a little water until a sauce is formed.
   ▶ ≈6:15
9. 9
   Pour the first batch of ground chile sauce over the browned pork, add the hand-ground sesame powder and a pinch of salt, and stir to combine.
   ▶ ≈6:50
10. 10
    Add the second batch of ground sauce and stir thoroughly. Bring to a boil and simmer until the pork is well flavored and the sauce has thickened slightly.
    ▶ ≈7:26
11. 11
    Serve the asado hot alongside white rice.
    ▶ ≈8:01