Shredded Pork Stew with Smoky Chipotle Tomato Sauce

• 1 pound pork shoulder
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cloves garlic, 2 crushed and 1 chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound fresh Mexican chorizo, homemade (page 71), or store-bought, casing removed
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 pounds (about 7) plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise, cored, and sliced
• 2 canned chipotle chiles, chopped
• 1/4 cup adobo sauce from canned chipotles
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed from stem
• 2 sprigs fresh marjoram, leaves removed from stem
• 6 sprigs cilantro
• Tortilla chips
• Mexican crema, homemade (page 102) or store-bought

1. Put the pork in a saucepan and fill with enough water to cover the meat by 1 inch.
2. Add the bay leaves and crushed garlic.
3. Bring to a boil and skim off the grayish foam that rises to the top during the first few minutes.
4. Decrease the heat to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes, partially covered, or until the pork is tender.
5. Allow the pork to cool in the stock, then drain, reserving 1 cup of the stock.
6. Shred the pork by pulling apart the fibers with your fingers.
7. Set aside.
8. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
9. Add the chorizo to the pan and cook, breaking it apart as you stir, until it achieves a golden brown color and begins to render its fat.
10. (Dont worry if some of the chorizo sticks to the bottom of the pan.)
11. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chorizo from the pan and set it aside.
12. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the unwashed pan and set it over medium heat.
13. Add the onion and remaining chopped garlic and saute until the onion begins to get limp and translucent, 3 minutes.
14. Add the shredded pork, season with the salt, and continue sauteing for 3 more minutes.
15. Deglaze the pan by pouring in a couple of tablespoons of the reserved pork stock and scraping the bottom of the pan with a heatproof silicone spatula.
16. Add the chorizo, tomatoes, chipotles, adobo from canned chipotles, oregano, thyme leaves, and marjoram leaves to the pan.
17. Stir well and simmer for 5 minutes.
18. Pour in the remaining reserved pork stock and continue simmering, uncovered, for 25 minutes.
19. Pour the finished stew into a large shallow bowl and garnish sprigs of cilantro.
20. Serve with tortilla chips and Mexican crema.
21. INGREDIENTS
22. Pork
23. You need a fatty cut of meat for this recipe, so if you cannot find shoulder, the only other cut to use is pork butt.
24. A lean cut will result in tough and dry pork.
25. You can easily substitute beef flank steak for the pork.
26. The beef only needs to be simmered for 30 minutes, but cooks the same as the pork after that.
27. Canned Chipotle Chiles
28. Look for the chipotles that are packed in adobo sauce.
29. Chipotles are smoked jalapenos and have the heat of a jalapeno, but you can remove the seeds found in the chile if you want to reduce the heat.
30. ADVANCE PREPARATION
31. This dish improves with age as its flavors really blend.
32. You can make this recipe up to 1 day in advance.

pork shoulder, bay leaves, garlic, olive oil, chorizo, onion, salt, tomatoes, chipotle chiles, adobo sauce, oregano, thyme, fresh marjoram, cilantro, tortilla chips

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/shredded-pork-stew-with-smoky-chipotle-tomato-sauce-380199 (may not work)