Pork in a Pasilla Chile and Pumpkin Seed Sauce

Pipian De Chile Pasilla Con Carne De Puerco

This dish I prepared in Mexican cuisine class. The recipe could seem complicated, but it is not.

Ingredients

Stewing pork with fat, cut into 1 1⁄2” cubes                 3 1/2 lb
Garlic cloves, peeled, crushed                                              9  ea
Salt                                                                                   1 1/2 Tbsp
Chile pasilla negra, about 8, wiped   
clean, vein, seeds removed and reserved                              6 oz
Lard (see index), or vegetable oil                                           2 Tbsp
Pumpkin seeds, raw, hulled                                            1 1/2 cups
Garlic cloves, small                                                                 3 ea
Peppercorns                                                                            5 ea
Cloves                                                                                      4 ea
Garnish  
Cilantro leaves                                                                        1 bunch
Lime wedges                                                                       as needed
White rice                                                                            as needed

Method

1. Put the pork into a wide casserole, cover with 4 quarts water, add the smashed garlic and salt, cover, and cook over medium-low heat until the pork is just half cooked, about 20 minutes. Remove 2 quart of the water and reserve.
   
2. Continue cooking the pork until it is tender; by this time the cooking water should have evaporated. If not, remove the broth and continue cooking the pork over medium heat until the fat renders out and lightly browns the meat. Leave 1⁄4 cup of fat in the pot.
   
3. Meanwhile, toast the chiles lightly on both sides in a dry skillet over medium-high heat; don’t burn the chiles or the sauce will be bitter. Rinse and soak in 3 cups of the reserved broth for about 15 minutes.
   
4. Toast the chile seeds until they change to a pale brown colour. Grind them in a spice grinder.
   
5. Heat the lard in a skillet and gently fry the pumpkin seeds until they begin to swell up and pop around. Add them along with the whole spices and the peeled garlic to the blender jar with the ground seeds. Add 2 1⁄2 cups of the reserved broth and blend together to a slightly textured purée. Add this to the meat that is frying in the casserole.
   
6. Blend the soaked chiles with the broth in which they were soaked and add to the pan.
   
7. Continue cooking for about 5 minutes. Add any remaining broth and salt to taste and
   continue cooking over low heat for 5 minutes. The sauce should be fairly thick, coating the back of a wooden spoon.

8. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
   
9. Garnish with cilantro and serve with white rice and corn tortillas.