< From My Family to Yours

Norma’s Red Chile & Horno Bread

Submited by Norma Naranjo

Ingredients

Red Chile

  • 2 pounds boneless pork stew meat 
  • 3 to 4 cups of water 
  • ½ cup red powdered chile 
  • 5 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed 
  • Salt to taste 

Horno Bread

  • 5 pounds all-purpose flour 
  • ½ cup shortening 
  • 1 package yeast (approx 1 tbsp) 
  • 4 cups warm water 
  • 2 tablespoons salt 
  • 1 tablespoon sugar

Directions

Red Chile

  1. In a saucepan, put stew meat and cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about one hour or until tender.
  2. Boil potatoes in another pot until potatoes are cooked.
  3. Place potatoes into pot with cooked meat. Add chile and bring to a boil for approximately 30 minutes. Add salt to taste.

Horno Bread

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix flour, shortening, and salt together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl mix approximately 4 warm cups of water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand for 10 minutes.
  2. Slowly add the 4 cups of water mixture to the flour mixture and mix using your hands until the mix forms a ball. Start kneading the dough until the dough starts springing back. Then coat the dough with shortening, cover with dish towel, set on the counter, and let the dough rise for two hours in a warm place.
  3. Once the dough has risen, knead the dough for two minutes. Do not over knead the dough.
  4. Divide up the dough into five equal amounts and form into individual loaves. Put the loaves into aluminum pans and let rise for one hour, or until the loaves double in size.
  5. Bake for 40 minutes in an horno or a conventional oven at 400°F for 55 minutes. Depending on your oven, you can lower the temperature to 350°F.

About the Contributor

Meet Norma Naranjo, the  inspiration behind this “From My Family to Yours” cookbook. Norma is from Ohkay Owingeh, formerly known as San Juan Pueblo, a serene locale nestled in the foothills north of Santa Fe, New Mexico. She is the owner of The Feasting Place, a beloved destination for those seeking authentic Pueblo cooking experiences. 

With roots deeply embedded in the traditions passed down by her mother Margaret, her grandmother Rosalia, and mothers-in-law Candy Naranjo and Grace Valdez, Norma has mastered the art of cooking with “hornos,” the traditional adobe ovens that are a cornerstone of Pueblo culture.

Beyond her entrepreneurial ventures, she is the author of “The Four Sisters” cookbook, a heartfelt compilation that intertwines recipes with the stories passed down from one generation to the next, a local farmer and rancher, and a hardworking curator of her community. Norma credits her ancestors for the passing down of knowledge, wisdom, and most importantly culture and traditions.

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