Chameleon of Deliciousness

Psst. Over here.

It's me, your trusty and beloved slow cooker. Any plans for the weekend? Want to - I don't know - collaborate on a project? Look, I'll just come right out and say it. I miss you.

It's Friday guys. Holy mother, it is Friday. Who's with me on that? As you can probably tell, the combination of a long week and not enough sleep have made me a little weird today. I plan to have a leisurely weekend. In which I will probably still be a little weird, because I'm just built that way. Just in case you've got a nice, leisurely weekend planned with lots of time to hang out inside your apartment smelling something absolutely ridiculous, I wanted to share my most recent obsession with you.

Carne adovada. New Mexico pulled pork. Hangover food. Drunk food. Comfort food. This is a chameleon of deliciousness.The best thing about this is that aside from an initial massage and a little shredding, you really just leave this business alone with its own business. The most difficult component of carne is patience. But, believe me, when you fold this into a burrito, or tuck it under eggs, or dig into the pot with your bare hands, it will all be worth it.

New Mexico Slow-Cooker Carne Adovada 
(Be forewarned, you marinate this overnight and cook it for almost a whole day. It is SO worth the planning.)

3lb whole pork shoulder (I know. 3?? You'll want to have leftovers. Trust.)
1 cup NM Red Chile powder (This stuff is what I use.)
3 - 5 big cloves of garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon oregano
pinch cumin
pinch cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
pinch smoked paprika
salt
2 cups chicken stock or red wine, or a combination of both

Combine half the chile powder, garlic, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, paprika and olive oil in the dish you'll marinate your pork in. Once you've mixed the oil in, it should be a slightly loose paste. Roll the pork shoulder in the marinade so that it covers every square inch. Sprinkle with salt and massage the marinade in for a minute or two, making sure to get into any little folds or crevices. (Ew, sorry, I know. Could I have said that in a less appetizing way?) Cover with plastic and leave in the fridge overnight.

In the morning, pull out your slow cooker. Set it on low. Put the pork and stock/wine/combo in it, along with the second 1/2c of chile powder. Set the timer for 8 hours. LEAVE IT ALONE.

I'm serious. Leave it. Don't open it too much. Don't poke at the meat. Turn the pork over in the broth a few times throughout the course of the day. When you hit the 6 hour mark, it will start to fall apart. Shred it up with two forks so that it can spend the next few hours REALLY soaking up the lovely gravy it's made for itself.

Then, enjoy in a billion applications and maybe share with your friends if you are really nice.