This is our new family favorite in the Mexican Food category…. which is a big category for us because a few (T&E) of our family consider Mexican food to be their favorite food PERIOD. Since living in Texas I feel like our understanding of real Mexican food has grown. It doesn’t have near as much to do with cheese as we have been lead to believe! This recipe also was our first foray into working with dried chilies, which I now LOVE! I found this recipe on Food Network and haven’t made many changes which is unusual considering I have made it at least a half dozen times!  I will include photos of this later this month…. I have to make it for someone’s birthday!

• 3 whole ancho chiles
• 3 whole pasilla chiles
• 4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 2 to 3 chipotles in adobo sauce
• 1/2 medium white onion, roughly chopped
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• Kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Mexican
• 3 3/4 cups chicken broth
• 4 pounds boneless pork shoulder (untrimmed), cut into chunks
• ground pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Corn tortillas, warmed, for serving
• Assorted taco toppings, for garnish

Put the ancho and pasilla chiles and the garlic in a bowl; add 2 to 3 tablespoons water and cover. Microwave on high until soft and pliable, 2 to 3 minutes. Stem and seed the chiles; (I found it easier to use plastic gloves to do this.) Peel the garlic. Transfer the chiles and garlic to a blender.

Add the chipotles, onion, 2 tablespoons olive oil, honey, vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt and the oregano to the blender; puree until smooth. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high heat; add the chile sauce and fry, stirring, until thick and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Pour in the broth and reduce until slightly thickened.

Season the pork all over with salt and pepper and transfer to a large slow cooker. Add the bay leaves and cinnamon stick, then pour in the sauce. Cover and cook on high until the meat is tender, about 5 hours. (Or cook the meat in a large Dutch oven, covered, for 1 hour 45 minutes at 350 degrees; uncover and cook 30 more minutes.) *I have made this recipe both in the crockpot and in the oven. Both turned out great! Just don’t double the recipe. TOO MUCH!*

Discard the bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Shred the pork; season with salt and pepper. Serve the shredded pork in the tortillas, along with toppings. You can use this meat for tacos, but it makes an amazing filling for burritos too!