Pork in Red-Chile Sauce

Serves: 4

8 medium dried New Mexico chiles, stemmed seeded and de-veined
3 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 medium onion, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 1/2 Tablespoon oil
1 1/2 Tablespoons lean, boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt to taste

Chiles: Heat a griddle or heavy skillet over medium and tear the chiles into flat pieces. Toast them on the hot surface a few at a time, pressing them down firmly with a metal spatula for a few seconds. Cover the chiles with boiling water, weight down with a plate to keep them submerged, soak 30 minutes, then drain and reserve 1 cup of the soaking liquid.
Sauce: Transfer the chiles and reserved liquid to a blender jar. Add the garlic, onion, and oregano. Pulverize the cumin seeds in a mortar or spice grinder, and add to the chile mixture. Blend until smooth, and then strain through a medium mesh sieve.
Frying: Heat the lard in a skillet over medium-high heat. Dry pork on paper towels, then lay it in the hot skillet. Fry until the meat is nicely browned, about 10 minutes.
Simmering: Add the chile puree to the pan. Continue to fry for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom frequently, until the puree is very thick and noticeably darker. Scrape the mixture into a saucepan, stir in the salt and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, partially cover and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Taste for salt, and simple stew is ready to serve.