Chilorio Sinaloense

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg boneless pork shoulder, cut into 4 cm cubes
• 1.5 litres water
• 2 tsp fine salt
• 6 ancho chillies, stemmed and seeded
• 3 pasilla chillies, stemmed and seeded
• 3 guajillo chillies, stemmed and seeded
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
• 3 tbsp cider vinegar
• 100 g pork lard
• 12 flour tortillas
• 2 limes, cut into wedges

Before you cook

• Cut the pork into even 4 cm cubes so it cooks at the same rate.
• Tear the stems from the chillies and shake out the seeds.
• Measure the vinegar, cumin and oregano into a small bowl.

Steps

1. Put the pork in a heavy pot with the water and salt.
2. Bring the pot to a boil, then lower it to a bare simmer and cover it.
3. Cook the pork for 1 hour 15 minutes, until a fork goes through a cube with no effort.
4. Lift the pork out with a slotted spoon and reserve 300 ml of the cooking liquid.
5. Put the chillies in a bowl and pour over enough of the hot cooking liquid to cover them.
6. Soak the chillies for 20 minutes, pressing them down so they stay submerged.
7. Blend the soaked chillies with the garlic, cumin, oregano, vinegar and 200 ml of the reserved liquid until completely smooth.
8. Push the chilli mixture through a sieve to leave the skins behind.
9. Shred the cooled pork with two forks, or pound it in batches in a mortar until the fibres separate.
10. Melt the lard in a wide heavy frying pan over medium heat.
11. Add the shredded pork and fry it for 10 minutes, stirring, until the edges start to crisp.
12. Pour in the sieved chilli sauce and stir to coat every strand.
13. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes over low heat, stirring often, until the mixture is dark brick red and the fat separates at the edge of the pan.
14. Taste and add salt if the chillies have flattened it.
15. Warm the flour tortillas on a dry comal for 20 seconds a side.
16. Spoon the chilorio into the tortillas and serve with lime wedges.