This dish is a classic holiday brunch meal in my family. I consider it a perfect balance of my mom and dad’s respective sensibilities.

My dad, who comes from southern New Mexico, makes great carne adovada, which is a staple in the regional cuisine. You can’t beat the flavor of roasted red chile sauce, especially in the winter. It is pure life. It makes you feel like you will never be cold or sad again. Keep it simple—you can find lots of recipes online, but as my dad always says, “They love to overcomplicate it, adding frivolous ingredients and extra steps, in order to *mystify it.*” Don’t let them mystify you.

As for the waffles, blue corn and lavender are also regional staples, but my mom marries them together in the best way, bringing a New England quaintness into the mix. A lavender lover and professional pastry chef, she supplies the baked goods at Milagro Farmstand in Corrales, NM. Go visit if you’re ever in the area!

For the carne
  • 8 oz dried red chile pods
  • 2-3 lbs pork chunks
  • ~4 cups water or broth
  • bay leaf
  • salt
For the waffles
  • 1 cup blue cornmeal
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tsp culinary lavender buds
  • ¾ tsp baking powder
  • ¾ tsp baking soda
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 3 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
  • 3 tbsp butter, melted
Directions

    Prepare the carne:

  1. Get as many of the seeds out of the chile pods as you can.
  2. Boil the de-seeded pods in water with a bay leaf until softened.
  3. Remove the bay leaf and blend it up.
  4. Cook the pork chunks in the red chile to your heart’s desire, add salt to taste. The slower you cook it, the more tender, as usual. Maybe around 2 hours or more? You want the liquid to be more sauce-y than soupy at the end, so let it reduce or add water if it’s getting too thick.

    5. While the carne is cooking,
    prepare the waffles:

  5. Combine dry ingredients (cornmeal, flour, sugar, lavender, baking powder + soda) in a large bowl.
  6. In another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg yolks, butter. Pour into the dry ingredients as you stir, forming a lumpy batter.
  7. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold these into the batter.
  8. Cook waffles in waffle iron.
  9. Top the waffles with carne adovada. Garnish with avocado, shredded cheese & cilantro if you’re feeling extra fancy.