Chilorio is a pork dish from the Mexican state of
Sinaloa
Sinaloa (), officially the (), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, compose the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 18 municipalities, and its capital city is Culiacán Rosales.
It is located in northwest Mexic ...
. Chilorio is generally made from
pork
Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig animal husbandry, husbandry dating back to 8000–9000 BCE.
Pork is eaten both freshly cooke ...
fried in
chili sauce
Chili sauce and chili paste are condiments prepared with chili peppers.
Chili sauce may be hot, sweet or a combination thereof, and may differ from hot sauce in that many sweet or mild varieties exist, which is typically lacking in hot sauce ...
.
In making chilorio, pork is slow-simmered for hours until it falls apart. It is then broken into bite size pieces, fried in lard, and cooked in a chile sauce made from re-hydrated dried chiles. The sauce is usually flavored with
onion
An onion (''Allium cepa'' , from Latin ), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus '' Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion which was classifie ...
s,
cumin
Cumin (, ; ; ''Cuminum cyminum'') is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native to the Irano-Turanian Region. Its seeds – each one contained within a fruit, which is dried – are used in the cuisines of many cultures in both whole ...
and
garlic
Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plants in the genus '' Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chives, Welsh onion, and Chinese onion. Garlic is native to central and south Asia, str ...
.
History
This recipe has been known for approximately 300 years and is believed to have been used as a means of preserving stewed meat, as the seasonings act as natural preservatives just like lard, in the same way as a sausage, only this one does not come packed in any casing or membrane.
Preparation
For the preparation of chilorio, as it is prepared in Sinaloa, it is very important that all of its ingredients are of good quality.
Pork meat, chile pasilla, and spices (such as garlic, salt, cumin, and oregano) are used. The meat is put to cook in a container according to the amount of pork that is going to be prepared; once the meat is cooked, it is mixed with the paste of the other ingredients that have been prepared previously, and it is begun to stir with a wooden shovel until the meat and paste are totally integrated; it is continued stirring until the meat and other ingredients are already integrated and have the reddish color of the chili.
It is served with corn or flour tortillas (very popular in northern Sinaloa) to prepare the taquitos, with lettuce, enchiloza sauce, pickled onion, and lime.
Consumption
It is mainly consumed in northern Mexico, but with industrial packaging in cans or plastic bags it has reached all corners of the country. The approximate cost of a quarter of machaca and a quarter of a kilo of chilorio is approximately $150.00 in the City of Mazatlán, according to people from this city. It is prepared either in wheat or corn tortilla tacos accompanied by guacamole or red sauce, in enchiladas, in cakes or accompanying a salad with avocado.
In the state of Sinaloa this product is so versatile that it can be eaten stewed with just a little onion or scrambled with eggs.
See also
*
List of Mexican dishes
The Spanish invasion of the Aztec Empire occurred in the 16th century. The basic staples since then remain native foods such as corn, beans, Cucurbita, squash and chili peppers, but the Europeans introduced many other foods, the most important of ...
*
References
{{Mexican cuisine
Mexican cuisine
Pork dishes
Fried foods