Fiery Chimayo Red Chile Peppers from New Mexico...they grace the walls and beams of many a home
in this state with its' high and low deserts....hot hot days and cool nights in the Northern sector are the per-
fect climate for these chiles and countless other green and red varieties.  These beauties lend their varying
heat and flavor to so many dishes in this part of the Country...it's mindboggling..  But here's a story that
is an American classic..a family that built a restaurant which became a landmark in their community...the
husband died, the building's neon sign years later caused an electrical fire...and the mother and daughter
team who runs the place were able to fix the damage and get back on track.  
     While driving through Carlsbad in New Mexico we were looking for a place to eat.  Of course, the kids
wanted to hit the 25 fast food or chain restaurants that dot the main drag...I on the other hand didn't want
our lunch to be something we could have at this point, anywhere in the world and not know where we really are.
Chain restaurants have their place...in Yuma, Arizona, that was all we could find...not taking the kids into a bar-
restaurant at night for dinner...But here in Carlsbad, a town which draws in the tourists because of the Caverns
in the National Park 20 something miles to the south, I wanted something Southwestern...something that
spoke of place...or as the culinista world likes to say, terroir...coming from the land you are standing on... 
Maybe that was a little too involved...sorry...I'm living on fumes(fueled by Coke Zero) after flying home from
Los Angeles this evening.  It's late, but I'm not sleepy...this will be a problem later...I'll deal with it..till then I
will blog...
     The food in this neck of the woods (or desert) is colorful and reflective of the Native American cultures
which have merged with the Spanish and Mexican cultures and mainstream U.S.A.  One look at a plate of
Southwestern food and you see a fiesta of hues and textures, much like their traditional art work.  Even the
Spanish Catholicism which was brought to the Native tribes reflects the vibrant sunlit colors of the desert.
Here is a church in Santa Fe's stained glass window...lots of color and texture


And next to that is a plant just clinging to the parched desert ground.  More texture and color...the food is
evocative of all of these feelings.  So back to the restaurant...in this arid town I found what I was looking for.
The sign dragged me in, like a tumbleweed meandering across the plains...
  Maybe it was it's 60's nostalgic-ness, or the promise of good
Southwestern-Mexican food served buffet style, but the non-descript  restaurant building just told me that
something good was waiting inside for us.  Here's the aside, my oldest doesn't like Southwestern or
Mexican food...we hit the Mickey D's for fries..she was happy, and the rest of us could eat something
we liked.    Coming from  NYC, I forget that smaller towns have set hours for lunch, then they close, then
comes dinner.  It was 2:15pm...sign says Noon Buffet and they meant it.  The place was pretty empty
when we walked in, they close at 3, then reopen for dinner at 5.  We sat down, caught a glimpse of Dora
Larez, the widowed owner and chef and I knew I hit the jackpot...it was what I was looking for.  A family
restaurant that cared and stuck to it's traditional recipes.  We received a plate of crispy tortillas with a
salsa made from local chiles...Que Bueno!!


My wife ordered the beef tacos and marveled at their dry yet flavorful texture...I ordered the Carne
Adovada, a Red Chile Pork stew. Just so we're clear here, I'm not doing a restaurant review, I
talking about a regional food presented simply and lovingly, and properly...good home cooking
from a New Mexican chef..it was amazing (I really wanted an entire tray of it).
The main ingredient in this dish are New Mexican mild/spicy red chiles, dried and ground into
a powder.  Every cook I spoke with told me if you try this dish with the generic chile powder you
will fail..the powder must come from New Mexican chiles..Chimayos to be exact. 
  This is one such example you can buy on line,
http://www.cibolojunction.com/pc-67-12-red-chile-powder.aspx
but again, they know what they are talking about...it was fantastic.  So here is my interpretation
of this dish...Dora would not part with her recipe...cube 3 lbs. of pork shoulder, dredge them in a
mixture of 2 tbs. flour, 2 tbs. of the red chile powder, salt, pepper, set aside.  In an oven proof dutch
oven, heat  in 2 tsp. of lard or corn oil 2 finely diced onions.till they are soft, about 10 minutes, stir
frequently.  Now add 2 thinly sliced cloves of garlic, 1 tsp. of cumin let this get fragrant..about 3
minutes or less.  Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl.   Add some more oil and in batches
brown the pork on all sides.  Then add it all to the pot, along with the onion mixture, 1 bay leaf,
1 cup of the red chile powder (REMEMBER IT MUST BE FROM NEW MEXICO) and blend.  Let this
cook for about 2 minutes, then add 4 cups of Chicken broth..if not using your own, use the low-
sodium/fat free broth.  Mix and cover, place in a pre heated oven, around 350 degrees and let
this bake for 1 hour, then stir it again, and let it bake for an additional hour with the cover slightly
open.  Serve with soft flour tortillas, grilled, and some rice and pinto beans.
Serves around 6. 
Just for the record, since the foodie police are always out there ready to pounce on an unsuspecting
recipe, Carne Adovada also denotes a shredded braised beef dish, seasoned mostly the same way
but more like a dried pulled pork dish...not saucy.  That recipe will be in another blog..sorry, you're not
getting it tonight...I'M JET LAGGED!   This dish may also be called Chile Colorado, but in plain English,
it's a cubed Pork Stew in a red chile sauce. 

 There's my lunch...made by Dora
Larez in her Larez Mexican Restaurant in Carlsbad, NM...regional food in America doesn't get much better than
this...Muchas Gracias Familia Larez!!