Shredded Pork Stew with Smoky Chipotle Tomato Sauce

Adapted from "Simply Mexican" by Lourdes Castro (Ten Speed, $24.95)

Yields 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 pound pork shoulder
2 bay leaves
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound fresh Mexican chorizo (see note below)
1 onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1½ pounds (about 7) plum tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
½ teaspoon dried oregano
2 sprigs fresh marjoram, leaves removed from stem
2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed from stem
1 can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, 1/4 cup sauce reserved and 2 chiles chopped
Tortilla chips and Mexican crema or sour cream for serving
Fresh cilantro for garnish
* If you can't find Mexican chorizo -- a raw sausage that's quite different than Spanish-style cured chorizo -- use hot or sweet Italian or Argentine sausage.


Directions:
1. Place the pork in a medium-size pot and cover with water by 1 inch. Add the bay leaves and crushed garlic. Bring to a boil, skimming off any grayish foam. Reduce the heat to a simmer and partially cover the pot. Cook 45 minutes, or until the pork is tender. Set aside to cool. Drain pork, reserving 1 cup of the broth. Shred meat by pulling apart the fibers with your fingers. Set aside.
2. Heat a tablespoon of the oil in a medium-size pot over medium heat. Remove any casing and add chorizo. Cook, breaking it apart as you stir, until it is golden brown and begins to render its fat. Remove the chorizo from the pot and set it aside.
3. Add the second tablespoon of olive oil to the pot and set it over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic 3 minutes. Add the shredded pork, season with salt and sauté 3 more minutes. Deglaze the pot with a couple of tablespoons of the reserved pork stock, scraping the bottom of the pot with a rubber spatula.
4. Stir in the chorizo, tomatoes, chipotles, adobo, oregano, marjoram and thyme. Simmer 5 minutes. Add the rest of the reserved pork broth and simmer, uncovered, 25 minutes to blend the flavors. Garnish with cilantro and serve with tortilla chips and Mexican crema.

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