Lentils with Chilies, Pork, and Fruit - Lentejas En Adobo

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Title: Lentils with Chilies, Pork, and Fruit - Lentejas En Adobo
Categories: Mexican, Beans, Pork, Chile
Yield: 4 Servings

1/2 lb (1 heaped cup) lentils,
-brown if available
1/2 sm White onion
Sea salt to taste
The pork:
1 lb Boneless stewing pork, cut
-into 1-inch cubes
Sea salt to taste
The seasoning and final
-cooking:
5 sm Chilies anchos, cleaned of
-veins and seeds and
Lightly toasted
1/4 lb Tomatoes, broiled
1 Garlic clove, peeled and
-roughly chopped
1/4 ts Dried oregano, Mexican if
-possible
1 Whole clove
1 1/2 Inch cinnamon stick
1 tb Melted lard or safflower oil
1 md Plantain (about 8-oz),
-peeled and cut into
1/4 Inch cubes
2 Thick pineapple slices,
-peeled, cored, and cut into
Small triangular wedges

The lentils: Run the lentils through your hands to make sure there
are no stones or other foreign bodies in them. Rinse them in two
changes of water and put into a pan. Add onion, salt to taste, and
enough water to come about 2 inches above the surface of the lentils.
Set over medium heat and bring to a fast simmer. Continue simmering
until the lentils are quite soft ~ about 3 hours, depending on their
age. Keep a pan of near-boiling water on the side, ready to add if
necessary.

Put the pork pieces into a pan; add salt to taste and water to cover.
Bring to a fast simmer and continue simmering until the pork is
tender but not soft - about 25 minutes. Strain, reserving the broth,
and set broth and meat aside.

Cover the dried chilies with boiling water and leave to soak for
about 15 minutes, until the chilies have softened and become fleshy.
Drain and put into a blender with 1 cup of the reserved pork broth,
the broiled tomatoes, garlic, oregano, clove, and cinnamon; blend
until smooth, adding more broth only if needed to release the blades
of the blender.

Heat the lard in a small frying pan, add the blended ingredients, and
fry over medium heat, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan,
until reduced and well seasoned - about 4 minutes. Add to the
lentils and add the pork, remaining broth, plantain, and pineapple;
simmer together for about 30 minutes. Adjust salt and add water if
necessary. The mixture should be like a thick soup.

The Art of Mexican Cooking
From the collection of Jim Vorheis

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