2 ½poundsboneless pork shouldercut into 6 equally-sized pieces
¼cupvegetable oil
1medium yellow onionthinly sliced
½cupchicken stock
1 ¼ouncesunsweetened chocolate
3teaspoonsgranulated sugar
3teaspoonsdistilled white vinegar
Sofrito
114.5-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
⅔cupfresh cilantro leavesroughly chopped*
½medium yellow oniondiced
2garlic clovesfinely chopped
1tablespoonfreshly squeezed lime juice
1teaspoonchili flakes
Chile Puree
2dried ancho chiles
2dried cascabelaka bola chiles**
2dried pasilla chiles
1chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
Instructions
Pork Shoulder
In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, salt, paprika, cumin, oregano, and cayenne. Add the pork shoulder and evenly coat with the spice mixture. Cover and place in refrigerator for at least 8 hours.
Optional (if you have a smoker): Soak the wood chips according to instructions and preheat your smoker to 225. Place the wet hickory chips in the electric hopper or over the fire and smoke pork for 1 hour.
Sofrito
Meanwhile, make the sofrito by adding the tomatoes, cilantro (if using), onion, garlic, lime juice, and chili flakes to the bowl of a food processor or a blender. Puree until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
Chile Puree
Place the ancho, cascabel, and pasilla chiles to a medium saucepan, then add water to cover. Cover the saucepan and bring its contents to a simmer over medium heat. Cook the chiles until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain the chiles, transfer to a cutting board to cool briefly, then use a sharp knife to remove (and discard) the stems, veins, and seeds.
Combine the chiles and chipotle pepper in sauce in the bowl of a food processor, puree until smooth. Add the chile mixture to the sofrito puree, stir to combine, then set aside.
Roasting the pork
Once ready to cook the pork (from the fridge or smoker), preheat the oven to 350 F.
Meanwhile, warm the ¼ cup oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven. Add the pork and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the thinly sliced onion, and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the stock and stir to scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the sofrito-chile mixture to the pot, then bring the mixture to a low simmer. Add the chocolate, granulated sugar, and vinegar and stir to combine. Cook until the chocolate has melted, about 5 minutes.
Bury the reserved pork in the chile base, cover it in the Dutch oven, and cook about 2 ½ - 3 hours, until the pork is easily shreddable with two forks. Remove the pot from the oven, and let the pork sit, covered, another 30 minutes.
Shred the pork meat using two forks to yield a chunky chili. Divide into portions and serve.
This dish keeps quite well, and can be well-wrapped then stored for 3-4 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer.
Notes
*Feel free to omit this if you belong to the "cilantro tastes like soap" part of the gene pool. **I wasn't able to find these, so I used 2 ancho pasilla chiles.