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Ingredients
- 3 1/2 pounds to 4 pounds of pork butt or shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 10 chile ancho peppers
- 6 chile california peppers or guajillo peppers
- 1 large white onion, diced
- 6 cloves of garlic, minced
- 4 cups of stock (pork or chicken)
- 2 tablespoons freshly ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons granulated garlic
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano, crushed between the palms of your hands
- Salt
- Canola oil
- 2 large russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1 inch cubes, fried until crispy and drained onto paper towels, set aside.
Preparation
Step 1
1. Remove the stems and seeds from the dried peppers, transfer them to a heat safe bowl and cover them with boiling water. Cover the bowl, using something, like a cup, to hold peppers down and let stand for 40 minutes.
2. In a large heavy pot, heat 3 tablespoons of oil to medium/high heat, add the pork and season with cumin,granulated garlic,black pepper and about 3 teaspoons of salt. The idea is to sear the pork at a high heat until it gets nice and brown.
3. While the pork is cooking, check on the peppers soaking in the hot water, stir them a little, so they soak evenly. When it's time, drain the peppers and transfer to the blender, add Mexican oregano, 2 teaspoons of salt and about 2 cups of stock, blend on high until smooth, set aside.
4. Add the onions and garlic to the pork and cook for a few minutes. Add all of the sauce from the blender to the pork and another 2 cups of stock, stir well to combine. Taste for salt, lower the heat and cook for a good 1½ to 2 hours, adding a little more stock if needed. During the last 15 minutes of cooking, add your potatoes and cook just until warmed. This was one of my Mom's signature dishes ... always served with warm, homemade flour tortillas.
When you blend the chile sauce, for a smoother sauce, you can strain it through a fine wire mesh strainer. Also, I don't like using the chile water to add back into the recipe, because it can be bitter at times.