Conejo colorado (rabbit stewed in red chile sauce)
Servings 4
Author Adapted by Lisa Fain from The Texas Cowboy Cookbook
Ingredients
Ingredients for the red chile sauce:
5New Mexican or ancho chiles, seeded
1 1/2cupschicken broth
1/4onion diced
2garlic cloves
Salt
Ingredients for the rabbit:
1(2-pound)rabbit
Kosher salt
Black pepper
1/2cupall-purpose flour
1teaspoondried Mexican oregano
1teaspoondried thyme
1/2cuplard or vegetable oil
1onionchopped
2garlic glovesminced
Red chile sauce
Instructions
To make the red chile sauce, place the chiles in a skillet and heat on high for 1 minute, turning once. Turn off the heat, fill the skillet with water, and let them soak until rehydrated, about 30 minutes. Drain the chiles and rinse well, then place in a blender with the chicken broth, onion, and garlic. Blend until smooth. Taste and add salt, if needed.
To make the rabbit, first rinse it then cut into 6 pieces (2 legs, 2 breasts, 2 loin pieces). Season the pieces with salt and pepper.
Combine the flour, oregano, and thyme in a shallow dish. Dredge the rabbit pieces in the flour mixture.
Heat the lard in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown he rabbit pieces for 5 minutes, or until nicely colored on all sides.
Add the onion. Cook for 3 minutes then add the garlic. Cook for another 3 minutes or until the onion is soft, stirring often.
Add 2 tablespoons of the remaining seasoned flour and stir continuously for 3 minutes or until the flour is cooked.
Add the red chile sauce and stir well. Simmer over very low heat, stirring occasionally, for an hour or until the rabbit falls from the bone. (Alternatively, you can transfer the rabbit to a slow cooker or put the pot in a slow oven.)