As the weather starts cooling down, this is one of those meals I like to put in the crockpot and let cook all day. Tender pork in red chile, served over fried potatoes with cheese and sour cream—it’s a pretty good way to end a chilly day.

I originally shared this recipe back in 2011, but the memory that went with it is even older. More than twenty years ago, I made a batch of red chile pork for tamales and never found the time to actually make the tamales. My daughter and I ate a LOT of red chile pork sandwiches instead. No complaints about the sandwiches, though!

These days, I make this pretty regularly for Len and me. I usually cut the pork into small pieces and brown it before putting it in the crockpot. It’s still wonderful for tamales, but over fried potatoes is my favorite way to serve it.

And for readers who know Mama Calderone, I’m pretty sure this is something you’d find cooking in her kitchen, too.

Ingredients

• One 3–5-pound pork roast, cut into small pieces
• One container of prepared red chile, hot or your preferred heat level
• Garlic, to taste
• Salt, to taste
• Onion powder, to taste
• A little oil for browning, as needed

For serving

• Fried potatoes
• Shredded cheese
• Sour cream

Directions

1. Heat a little oil in a large skillet. Brown the pork in batches, then transfer it to the crockpot.
2. Add the red chile, garlic, salt, and onion powder. Stir to coat the pork.
3. Cover and cook on low until the pork is tender and pulls apart easily. My original whole-roast version cooked for 8–10 hours; with smaller pieces, start checking sooner.
4. Taste and adjust the seasonings before serving.
5. Spoon the pork and red chile over fried potatoes. Top with shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream.

You can also serve it with pinto beans and warm tortillas, tuck it into sandwiches, or use it as tamale filling—if you get around to making the tamales!