A Lima-style pork stew built on red wine vinegar and ají panca, dark red and properly saucy. The pork turns tender beneath a tangy, spiced, deeply savory coating, while white rice and sweet potato catch every bit of the thick adobo. Bold, homey, and made for digging in with a spoon.
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Cut the pork into evenly sized medium chunks and the red onion into thick slices. The pork pieces should be large enough to withstand stewing without drying out, while the onion should remain visible in the finished sauce.
Mix roughly three fifths of the ground garlic and ají panca paste with all of the red wine vinegar, oregano, cumin, black pepper, and about two thirds of the salt. Add the pork, coat every piece thoroughly, and marinate covered for 30 minutes; by the end, the surface should look evenly red and moist. Reserve all of the marinade.
Lift the pork from the marinade and let the excess drip off, then heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Sear the meat in batches for 6 to 8 minutes total, turning until it develops deeply browned patches on several sides; avoid crowding the pot or the pork will steam. Remove it and keep the marinade.
Reduce to medium heat, add the onion, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, scraping the bottom, until soft and translucent with a few browned edges. Add the remaining garlic and ají panca and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until the pepper loses its raw aroma and the seasoning base turns deep red. Add a small portion of the water and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom.
Return the pork and all of the reserved marinade to the pot. Cover and cook over low heat for 45 to 55 minutes, turning the meat a couple of times, until it is fully cooked, fork-tender, and coated in a full-bodied red sauce. If the sauce becomes too concentrated before the pork is tender, add only a small splash of water.
While the adobo cooks, peel and cut the yellow sweet potato into large pieces. Boil it in the remaining water for 18 to 22 minutes, until a knife slides in easily while the pieces still hold their shape; drain and keep warm. Have the cooked white rice ready for serving as well.
Once the pork is tender, uncover the pot and, if needed, cook for another 5 to 8 minutes over medium-low heat, until the sauce is glossy, thick, and clings to the meat instead of running like broth. Taste and adjust with the remaining salt. Serve piping hot with the rice and sweet potato, letting the sauce reach both. And that's it! If the rice ends up stained red, things are going exactly as planned. 😌
