Zacatecas wedding-style pork stew in a rich, chile-and-chocolate-laced sauce. This protein-rich family celebration dish delivers complex, deeply satisfying flavors worthy of a special occasion.
Toast dried guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes per side until fragrant, then soak in 1 cup hot chicken broth for 20 minutes.
In the same skillet, add whole cumin seeds, black peppercorns, and cloves, and toast for 1 minute over medium, stirring frequently; transfer to a blender.
Fry sliced bread in 1 tbsp vegetable oil until golden, then add garlic and onions and cook for another 3 minutes; add to the blender with softened chiles, oregano, vinegar, chocolate, and 1 cup chicken broth.
Blend all sauce ingredients until very smooth. Pass through a fine sieve into a bowl for a refined, lump-free sauce.
Heat remaining oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Season pork cubes generously with salt, sear until browned all over (in batches if needed), then return all meat to pot and pour in the sieved chile sauce.
Add bay leaf, bring to a gentle simmer, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 2.5 hours, stirring every 30 minutes and checking moisture. Skim excess fat if needed.
Uncover pot, taste and adjust salt as needed, and simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes to thicken the sauce and intensify flavors before serving.