I had some dried ancho chile peppers left over from making that Esquire oatmeal, and this recipe was on the package. I figured I might as well try it.

I halved the recipe because I didn’t have enough chile peppers and I didn’t really think we needed 3 pounds of pork. It ended up being about 4 small servings, which was perfect. But I will put the whole recipe below.

You will have to soak the chiles in hot water for about 15 minutes, and then remove the seeds and stems. This is actually very easy. A lot of the seeds just fell right out, and after I cut the stem off I just tore the pepper apart and the rest of the seeds were easy to remove. I tore the peppers into pieces before I tossed them in the skillet.

I’m not sure this is going to be enough tequila…

We liked this, but I expected it to be spicy and it wasn’t. If you want it spicy, keep some of the seeds in. You also shouldn’t worry if you don’t love tequila, because you can’t really taste it. I recommend serving it with margaritas for good measure.

The recipe says to strain the marinade before serving it, but I didn’t see the point. The toasted pumpkin seeds aren’t necessary, but they do add a little something.

Tequila roasted pork (adapted from the package of dried chiles)
Serves 6+

4 dried ancho chiles
1 medium red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice*
1/4 cup tequila
3 to 4 pound pork loin
1/3 cup roasted pumpkin seeds for garnish

Soak chiles in hot water for about 15 minutes, until softened. Remove stems and seeds. Tear the chile into pieces. Heat oil a large skillet over medium heat, then saute the onions, garlic and chiles in the oil for about 5 minutes. Stir in sugar, spices and tequila and simmer for 10 minutes.

Put the mixture in a blender (carefully!) and puree until smooth, adding a small amount of water if necessary.

Marinate the pork in the mixture overnight in the refrigerator.

Place pork in a baking dish and cover with marinade. Cover the dish with foil. Bake at 350 degrees until meat reaches 150 degrees**. Let it sit for 15 minutes, then slice thinly. Serve with some marinade and pumpkin seeds on top.

*I didn’t have this, so I used cumin. I know those are not the same, but it worked.

**I used a 1.75-pound pork loin and it took less than an hour. The original recipe says 2 hours for a 3- to 4-pound loin. I recommend using a meat thermometer, because you don’t want to overcook it. If you want it to be in the oven longer, you can cook it at a lower temperature.