Zacatecas and San Luis Potosí, Mexico — Bajío region wedding and celebration tradition
Asado de boda (wedding roast) is the festive pork dish of Zacatecas and San Luis Potosí — pork pieces braised in a dried chile sauce made from ancho, mulato, and guajillo, enriched with lard and spiced with cumin, cinnamon, and cloves. It is the canonical wedding and festival food of the region — rich, deeply spiced, and made in enormous quantities. Unlike mole negro, there is no chocolate and no charring — the sauce is built on dried chiles, spices, and acidity from tomato or vinegar.
Rich, deeply spiced, slightly sweet from dried fruit notes in mulato chiles — festive and warming
{"Dried chile base is the foundation — toasted, soaked, and blended smooth before straining","The spice profile (cumin, cinnamon, cloves) defines the regional character — more aromatic than Oaxacan moles","Pork shoulder (with fat) is the correct cut — lean pork dries out in the long braise","Frying the blended chile paste in hot lard until it changes colour is essential","Large quantity is the context — this is party food, cooked for 50+ people"}
{"The sauce should be deep brick-red — if too brown, add more ancho; too orange, add more mulato","A small amount of vinegar (or orange juice) added at end balances the richness","Serve with arroz rojo and frijoles charros — canonical accompaniments in Zacatecas","Asado de boda reheats well and improves the next day — make ahead for large events"}
{"Using lean pork — dries out during the long braise","Skipping the lard-frying step for the chile paste — flat, raw flavour","Under-spicing — this is a bold, aromatic sauce; cumin and cloves should be present","Making in small batches — the flavour develops through volume and long cooking"}
Mexico: The Cookbook — Margarita Carrillo Arronte; The Cuisines of Mexico — Diana Kennedy