Braised Pork Tacos with Ancho Chiles

Method/Steps

1. Heat the oil in a wide pot over medium-high heat. When it begins to smoke, add pork and brown very well on at least two sides, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Stir in 5 cups of water, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits. Add the onion wedges, garlic, bay leaves and 2 tsps salt and bring just to a simmer. Skim the liquid, reduce the heat to medium-low, and partially cover. Cook at a slight simmer until tender, about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and let the pork sit in its liquid, uncovered, until cool enough to handle.

2. Meanwhile, preheat a skillet over medium heat and briefly toast the chiles by pressing them lightly with a spatula until fragrant, no more than 1 minute per side. Transfer the chiles to a bowl, cover with hot water, and soak until well softened, about 30 minutes. Stem and seed the chiles, chop coarsely and set aside.

3. Remove the cooled meat from its liquid and transfer it to a bowl. Shred the pork into small, bite-size pieces with your fingers and set aside. Discard the bay leaves from the cooking liquid and transfer 1/2 cup or so of the liquid, and the onion and garlic pieces from the pot to the jar of a blender. Add the reserved chiles, the cumin and coriander and process to form a thick, nearly smooth paste, with no large bits of chile remaining, scraping down the sides of the bowl and adding a bit more liquid as needed.

4. Return the chile paste and the pork to the pot. Simmer the mixture over medium-low heat until the meat is coated in a thick, barely fluid sauce, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let the pork sit off the heat for a few minutes. Add salt to taste, and serve in warm tortillas (about 2 to 3 Tbsp per tortilla) with the salsas, chopped white onion, cilantro, Cotija cheese and lime wedges.