Chile Colorado

Ingredients

• 5 ancho chiles
• 2 pasilla chiles
• 2 guajillo chiles
• 8 cups chicken stock
• 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1/2" pieces
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp chopped fresh sage
• 2 tsp chopped fresh Mexican oregano
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken into large pieces
• cilantro, chopped

Method

Toast the dried chiles in a dry pan over medium heat for 30 seconds per side — this drives off surface moisture and concentrates their flavour compounds. Remove the stems and seeds. Pour 750ml of boiling chicken stock over the chiles, cover, and leave for 25–30 minutes until they're fully plump and the flesh separates easily from the skin. Blitz the chiles with all their soaking liquid until completely smooth; you want no flecks visible. This purée is the foundation of the sauce, so take the time to get it properly silken.

Pat the pork shoulder pieces dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and work through the pork in batches — crowding the pan drops the temperature below the threshold needed for proper braising colour, and you'll end up with grey, steamed meat instead of caramelised surfaces. Once all the pork is browned, lower the heat to medium, add the garlic, bay leaves, cumin, sage, oregano, and cinnamon. Stir constantly for 90 seconds until the spices release their oils and the kitchen smells alive. This aromatic-infusion of toasted spices and fresh herbs is where the chile colorado builds its complexity.

Pour in the remaining 1.75 litres of stock and bring to a bare simmer — uncovered, so the liquid can reduce and concentrate. Cook for 45 minutes. Add the chile purée and stir through. The sauce will darken immediately as the chile flavours bind with the stock and fat. Continue simmering, uncovered, for a further 40–50 minutes until the pork breaks apart at the gentlest prod and the sauce has darkened to mahogany-red and thickened to the point where a spoon dragged through it leaves a brief channel. The slow-cooking process converts the pork's collagen into gelatin, giving the braising liquid body and richness.

Taste and season with salt — the chiles and spices are assertive, so you'll need more than you expect. Finish with fresh cilantro. Serve over white rice or with warm flour tortillas on the side.