The State of Sinaloa, along with surrounding states of Sonora, Durango, and Chihuahua, is well known for the fine quality of its livestock. Sinaloa’s gastronomy is also praised throughout the country for the dishes that are prepared with ingredients unique to its coastlines, like smoked marlin tostadas, shrimp aguachile, and dried fish machaca.
Unfortunately, getting a hold of smoked marlin is not easy when you live outside of Mexico. Nevertheless, Sinaloa can still be represented in your table when you cook this simple stew that is also well known all over Mexico.
Chilorio may be the most famous dish from Sinaloa, and more specifically from the town of Culiacan, where besides being made at home, Chilorio Recipe is sold at the markets where people can buy it ready-made to take home. Chilorio has been sold in a canned version since 1974; it’s such a versatile stew that you can use it to make tacos, burritos, burritas, chimichangas, gorditas, subs (tortas), tostadas, quesadillas, sopes, or tamales. This dish is very similar to other stews around México called Pork Adobo.
Market Photos Courtesy of my dear friend Manuel Arciniega from the Chilepazote Blog.
Their sellers offer the Chilorio ready to eat by the kilo, along with other pork and beef products like dried shredded meat, cheese, chicharrones (pork skin cracklings), and the like.
2. While the meat is cooking, devein and clean the peppers, place them in a small saucepan with the remaining cup of water, cover, and cook on low heat for 8 minutes until the peppers look soft.
3. Place cooked peppers and cooking water in a blender and add oregano, cumin, and garlic. Process until you have a very smooth sauce.
4. Place the saucepan over the meat over medium-high heat, add the sauce and the vinegar. Mix well and lower the heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.
Chilorio may be the most famous dish from Sinaloa, and more specifically from the town of Culiacan, where besides being made at home, Chilorio Recipe is sold at the markets where people can buy it ready-made to take home. Chilorio has been sold in a canned version since 1974.
Place the meat, 1 and 1/2 cup of water, bay leaf and salt in a saucepan. Cover and simmer for about 45 minutes, until meat is tender. Uncover the saucepan and let the water evaporate. Add the lard if needed, since some cuts of pork meat do not render enough fat. Let the meat brown slightly. Set aside and remove the bay leaf. Shred the meat with two forks.
While the meat is cooking, devein and clean the peppers, place them in a small saucepan with the remaining cup of water, cover, and cook on low heat for 8 minutes until the peppers look soft.
Place cooked peppers and cooking water in a blender and add oregano, cumin, and garlic. Process until you have a very smooth sauce.
Place the saucepan over the meat over medium-high heat, add the sauce and the vinegar. Mix well and lower the heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.
Keep simmering for about 15-20 minutes, until sauce has reduced and changed into a darker color. Let it fry with its own fat. Serve with warm flour tortillas and a hot sauce, since this is not a spicy dish.
*As with any recipe, some home cooks use a combination of dried peppers to make this dish. Such a mix could include two or more of these varieties of pepper: pasilla, colorado and ancho.
I dont eat pork but it sure looks good. 🙂 wish we could get mexican ingrediants over here.
Soy de Sinaloa y nunca he preparado chilorio….gracias por la receta!!
Espero te guste la receta. Saludos!
I have made this several night, because my boyfriend is in LOVE with this wonderful dish!! I toasted the chilies first. 5 starsssss!!!
So glad to know you enjoy cooking the food of Sinaloa. Great tip of cooking the meat using the slow cooker.
I made this tonight for dinner…and it was MARVELOUS. I almost felt like I was eating from a great street vendor. Thank you!!!
I'm so glad to know you enjoyed it! I had been craving it too for days. Is time for me to make a new batch of it.
This sound delicious like all your other recipes I have tried . Can the lard be replaced with olive oil or canola oil ? That’s the only ingredient I’m missing .
Yes, you can use other type of oil.
I will start by adding 4 tablespoons of ground Ancho Chile Powder and then taste to see if it needs more. Let me know how it turns out.