Pig Boy Willy's Carne Adovada

To outsiders, New Mexico's carne adovada seems like a nondescript stewed pork adobo.

But for residents of the chile-crazed state, the secret to the signature dish is the sauce, which highlights the smoky, spicy chiles of the Southwest, and gets ladled over other dishes days after the pork is gone.

Few outlets have mastered carne adovada quite as expertly as Pig Boy Willy. Owners Sue Farrington and Clancey Malone developed a cult following for the enduringly spicy sauce that they served in burritos at the annual Fiesta on the Plaza.

After 20 years, they relented to requests from the public and translated the recipe into a spice mixture that makes an honest copy of the original. It owes its mellow burn to locally sourced Chimayó peppers (the Willy team worked with a nearby agriculture school and local growers to find the perfect type).

The original Willy recipe features boneless pork shoulder cooked in a slow cooker (click here to download), but the spices work just as well on beef or chicken.

Try the stew in a baked potato or over eggs, or tuck into it like the locals: wrapped up in a warm flour tortilla.