CHIII COLORADO

INGREDIENTS:

3 lbs pork shoulder
5 ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
2 pastilla chiles, stemmed and seeded
2 guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
3 cups chicken broth for the chiles
5 cups chicken broth for the pork
7 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp cumin
2 tbsp sage, chopped
2 tbsp oregano, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:

Start by boiling 3 cups of chicken broth. Add the chiles to a bowl, and pour chicken broth over the chiles. Cover with plastic wrap to let them steam and absorb the liquid - leave them be for about 30 minutes. Once that’s done, add the chiles and chicken broth to a blender and purée until smooth. Set aside.

Cut the pork shoulder into ½” pieces. Set the bone aside and plan to make a stock with it later. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a large, heavy pot (a Dutch oven is perfect for this), on the stove on medium-high heat. Add olive oil and wait until that pot is very hot and then brown the pork shoulder pieces. You may need to rotate them so each side has browned evenly. Add the garlic, bay leaves, cumin, sage, and oregano, and stir for about a minute. You want the mixture to be very fragrant, wafting up from the pot and tempting you. Add 5 cups chicken stock and simmer uncovered for about an hour. Then, stir in the chili purée you blended a while ago and simmer for another 45 minutes until the meat is super tender and the sauce is thick, rich, and a dark reddish-brown color. Season with more salt and pepper.

Serve with Mexican rice, beans, and/or flour tortillas.