Pollo en Adobo

Toast the stems and seeds from the Dried Ancho Chiles and Dried Guajillo Chiles briefly in a dry skillet until fragrant (10–20 seconds each side), then remove stems and seeds. Place the cleaned chiles in a bowl and pour Hot Water over them to soak until soft, about 20 minutes; reserve ½–1 cup of the soaking liquid.

While the chiles soak, char the Roma Tomatoes, halved White Onion and unpeeled Garlic Cloves on a hot skillet or under the broiler until blackened in spots, then let cool and peel the garlic.

In the same dry skillet toast whole Whole Black Peppercorns, Whole Cloves and a stick of Mexican Cinnamon for 30–60 seconds to wake up the oils; briefly grind or crush them, then add the toasted spices to a blender with the softened chiles, roasted tomatoes, onion, peeled garlic, a splash of White Vinegar, a pinch of Dried Mexican Oregano and Ground Cumin. Add just enough reserved chile soaking liquid to achieve a smooth puree and blend until completely smooth.

Strain the blended adobo through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing with a spoon to extract a silky sauce; discard solids. Taste and adjust acidity or salt as needed.

Season the Chicken Thighs and Drumsticks generously with Kosher Salt. In a heavy Dutch oven or large skillet, heat about 2–3 tablespoons of Lard over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken in batches, skin-side down first, until well colored (3–5 minutes per side); transfer browned pieces to a plate.

Lower the heat to medium, pour the strained adobo into the pot and cook briefly to thicken and deepen the flavor, scraping up any browned bits. Add 2 cups of Chicken Stock and 2–3 Bay Leaves, bring to a gentle simmer, then return the browned chicken to the pot so pieces are partially submerged.

Cover and simmer gently until the chicken is tender and cooked through, about 30–40 minutes. If the sauce is too thin, uncover and simmer a few minutes to reduce; if it’s too thick, add a splash more stock. Taste and adjust seasoning with more Kosher Salt or a dash of vinegar if needed.

Serve the pollo en adobo hot with warmed Corn Tortillas, Lime Wedges and chopped Cilantro. Shred or serve pieces whole and spoon extra sauce over the tortillas for tacos, bowls or family-style plating.