Pig Boy Willy was born in 1984 and lived in a food booth on the Plaza during Fiestas de Santa Fe for twenty years, rolling up carne adovada burritos as fast as he could.
The Palace of the Governors portal, on the Plaza where the booth stood.
The Pig became a Fiesta institution. Every September, people came to the Plaza for the burritos, and some of them, as the Santa Fe New Mexican put it, made a special trip, or trips, just for that.
Then came the other eleven months. Customers kept asking for the carne adovada the rest of the year. So, after twenty years, the Pig relented. He packaged up the spice mix and let his faithful followers make their own.
Every time you make Pig Boy Willy's Famous Carne Adovada, it takes you back to those wonderful September weekends on the Plaza. Even if you weren't there.
Get the mix, $6.50
The Pig Boy Willy Famous Burritos booth at Santa Fe Fiesta.
Line forms at the Pig Boy Willy booth during Fiesta de Santa Fe.
Owners of the booth, keepers of the recipe, and the reason the sauce tastes like it did on the Plaza.
Tasting Table wrote in 2010 that the mix "owes its mellow burn to locally sourced Chimayó peppers." The Pig Boy team worked with a nearby agriculture school and local growers to find the right one. The original recipe is boneless pork shoulder in a slow cooker, but the spices work just as well on beef or chicken.
Pig Boy Willy LLC is in Albuquerque now, at 2547 Duranes Rd NW. The packets still go out by US Postal Service, one at a time or three dozen at a time.
Chimayó, where the chile comes from. Photo via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
"To outsiders, New Mexico's carne adovada seems like a nondescript stewed pork adobo. But for residents of the chile-crazed state, the secret to the signature dish is the sauce, which highlights the smoky, spicy chiles of the Southwest, and gets ladled over other dishes days after the pork is gone."Tasting Table"Chile Willy," July 2010
Pig Boy Willy be trottin' our way, Pig Boy Willy gonna make our day. Come on, Pig Boy, we're waitin' for you, If you ain't here soon, we'll sing the blues. So speed your way through gale and sleet, Cause Pig Boy honey we're ready for a treat. Elbows on the table, hunkered in our places, Napkins 'round our chins, grins on our faces, Bring it, Willy, now is the hour, D.C. casts its votes for PIG BOY POWER!
Heddy ReidWashington, DC, February 2013. Copyright 2013 Heddy Reid."Several weeks have passed since we all savored Fiesta food on the Plaza. By now, some of you might be having Fiesta-food withdrawal symptoms. To solve this dilemma, you can purchase Pig Boy Willy's delicious and famous carne adovada mix. The identical mix has been used in the stand's renowned carne adovada burritos since 1984."Pancho EpsteinThe Santa Fe New Mexican
"Pig Boy Willy served its famous carne adovada burritos from a food booth on the Plaza during Fiesta from 1984 to about 2004, developing a cult following. When the owners retired the business, fans begged for the recipe. Be warned: this sauce is spicy, even if you don't stir in the separate sleeve of chile pequin. Pick up a package and prepare to reminisce."Pasatiempo, The Santa Fe New Mexican"Stuff stockings and faces," December 13, 2019
"Easy to make. We used 1/3 of the hot powder packet and it had some heat but not overpowering. Serves up great with shredded cheese, salsa, and warm tortillas. Next time I'll add some onion and maybe peppers."Daniel Kolditz, Ballwin, MOThe Chile Shop, February 14, 2020
"Carne Adovada is an easy dish to fix that has fantastic flavor. There are many options on how to serve this dish whether in a tortilla, with Mexican coleslaw, or in a salad. It's delicious!"Heather Reichert, Norman, OKThe Chile Shop, February 25, 2019
"Try the stew in a baked potato or over eggs, or tuck into it like the locals: wrapped up in a warm flour tortilla."Tasting TableJuly 2010
"Buen provecho!"Trip ReidWashington, DC, February 2013
The same mix the booth used since 1984, in a packet that fits in an envelope.
Get the mix, $6.50