Chili Colorado

By KDHarmon

Ingredients

• 5 ancho chile peppers, dried
• 2 pasilla peppers, dried
• 2 guajillo peppers, dried
• 8 C chicken stock
• 2 pounds pork shoulder or beef
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 Tbl ground cumin
• 2 tsp fresh sage, chopped
• 2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped (Mexican if possible)
• vegetable oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Details

Adapted from bonappetit.com

Preparation

Step 1

Remove the stems and seeds from the chiles. Look for chiles that are soft and pliable, like a raisin. If they are brittle, they are old and will be flavorless—don’t use them.

Cover chiles with 3 cups of boiling chicken stock and let them steam, covered with plastic wrap, for about 30 minutes until they are plump and tender. Put the chiles and all of the soaking liquid into a blender and purée until very smooth.

Cut pork or beef into ½” pieces, season with salt and pepper, and brown the meat in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat with a little bit of vegetable oil to keep it from sticking.

Add garlic bay leaves,cumin, sage and oregano, stirring for about a minute, or until very fragrant. Add in 5 cups of chicken stock and simmer uncovered for about an hour.

Stir in the chile purée and simmer for another 45 minutes until the meat is very tender and the sauce is a thick, mahogany-red color.

Season with additional salt and pepper.