Asado de bodas, also known as asado de puerco, is a traditional pork stew from Zacatecas that’s usually served at weddings and big celebrations. It is smoky, a little spicy, and full of depth.
It’s made with pork simmered in a rich chile sauce flavored with warm spices, piloncillo, and a touch of chocolate.
Traditionally, asado de bodas is served with arroz rojo, frijoles puercos, and plenty of tortillas.
It’s festive, yes, but it’s also the kind of dish you can make at home and share with your family on a Sunday. Below you’ll find my step-by-step recipe (and a video too!)
How To Make Asado de Bodas
Place the pork pieces in a large braising pan or heavy pot (something with a lid works best).
Add about 1 tablespoon of salt, 2 bay leaves, and just enough water to barely cover the meat.
Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover the pot and cook for about 1 hour, or until the pork is tender. Don’t worry if there’s still some water left, we’ll take care of that later.
While the pork is cooking, prepare the chile sauce. First, remove the stems and seeds from the dried chiles.
Heat a comal or a griddle over medium heat and lightly toast the chiles on both sides, just a few seconds each, until they become fragrant.
Be careful not to burn them or they’ll taste bitter.
Place them in a bowl, cover with hot water, and let them soak for about 10 minutes, or until soft.
On the same griddle, roast the onion and garlic until they have charred spots and softened slightly.
Next, toast the spices (cloves, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, and the cinnamon stick) on the griddle. Stir them for a minute or so, just until they release their aroma. Don’t walk away, they burn fast. Set aside.
Toast the tortillas on both sides until crisp and lightly browned. This step might seem unusual, but the tortilla will thicken the asado sauce and give it a wonderful body.
In a blender, add the drained chiles, roasted onion, garlic, toasted spices, crispy tortillas, 2 cups of water, and the orange juice.
Blend until the mixture is completely smooth. If your blender struggles, do it in batches or add a little more water. Set aside.
If your blender leaves the sauce a little gritty, you can strain it so it will be silky and restaurant-style.
Go back to the pork. By now, most of the water should have evaporated. If not, uncover the pan and let it cook until the water is gone.
Let the pork brown gently in its own fat. If you want, you can also add a bit of pork lard to the pan.
Once the pork has browned, pour the blended chile sauce into the pot. Stir the sauce into the pork and let it sizzle for a minute.
Add the chocolate, piloncillo, and a piece of orange peel to the pot. These will balance the flavor of the chiles.
Pour in a little more water if the sauce looks too thick. Taste the sauce and add a pinch of salt if needed.
Lower the heat to medium-low, cover partially, and let the asado de bodas stew simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and you can see the fat rise to the surface, that’s when you know it’s ready.
Turn off the heat and let the asado rest for 15 minutes before serving. This helps the flavors settle and the sauce cling better to the pork.
Note: I made a step-by-step video so you can see how the sauce comes together and how the pork cooks. It’ll feel like we’re cooking together in my kitchen!
When you make this Asado de Bodas at home, keep it simple: serve it with Mexican red rice, pickled onions, some refried beans, and always with warm tortillas (corn or flour tortillas, whichever you prefer).
And don’t be surprised if your family goes back for seconds and thirds because it’s that kind of dish.
Cooking Notes & Tips
- When toasting dried chiles, move them quickly with tongs. If they turn black, toss them because they’ll make the sauce bitter.
- If you don’t have a comal, use a cast-iron skillet or any heavy pan for toasting.
- No piloncillo? Use dark brown sugar as a substitute.
- Can’t find Mexican chocolate? Use a small piece of bittersweet chocolate instead.
- Pork shoulder works best for this Asado de Bodas recipe, but you can also use pork butt or even ribs for extra flavor.
- Leftovers taste even better the next day because the flavors deepen overnight.
- You can make this recipe up to 3 days ahead and keep in the fridge, or freeze it for up to 2-3 months.
More Pork Recipes
Video
Print the recipe
Asado de Bodas
Ingredients
- 2 ½ lb pork shoulder (cut into small pieces)
- 6 guajillo peppers
- 2 ancho peppers
- 1 small onion
- 2 medium corn tortillas
- 1 large orange (juice and peel)
- 1 small piece piloncillo (about 2 tablespoons)
- 1 small piece dark chocolate (about 2 tablespoons)
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 3 cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Place the pork in a large braising pan. Add salt, 2 bay leaves, and just enough water to slightly cover the meat. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook over medium heat for about 1 hour.
- While the pork cooks, make the sauce: remove stems and seeds from the chilies. Lightly toast them on a griddle or comal, then place in a bowl and cover with hot water for 10 minutes.
- Roast the onion and garlic on the griddle until charred, then set aside. Toast the cloves, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, and cinnamon stick until aromatic. Set aside.
- Toast the tortillas on both sides until crisp and lightly browned.
- In a blender, combine the toasted spices, onion, garlic, tortillas, drained chilies, 2 cups water, and orange juice. Blend until smooth and set aside.
- Back to the pork: uncover the pan and let any remaining water evaporate. Allow to brown the pork on its own fat (read notes).
- Pour the chili sauce through a sieve over the meat and stir for a minute while it sizzles.
- Add the chocolate, piloncillo, and orange peel. Pour in enough water to slightly thin the sauce and cover the meat. Season with salt.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the fat rises to the surface and the sauce is thick and velvety.
- Taste and adjust salt if needed. Turn off the heat and let the asado rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- If you’re using a lean cut, and there’s not much fat on the pan after the pork cooks, you can add 2 tablespoons of lard or bacon fat to brown the meat.
- When toasting dried chiles, move them quickly with tongs. If they blacken, they’ll taste bitter.
- If you don’t have a comal, a heavy skillet or cast-iron pan works perfectly for toasting chiles, tortillas, and spices.
- You can use dark brown sugar as a substitute for piloncillo.
- Can’t find Mexican chocolate? Use a small piece of bittersweet chocolate instead.
- Pork shoulder works best, but you can also use pork butt or ribs.
- Leftovers taste even better the next day as the flavors deepen.
Nutrition Information
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