Instructions: Put the pork pieces into a large heavy saucepan or casserole with the onion, garlic, and water to cover. Season with salt, bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, covered, for 1 hour, or until pork is barely tender.

Drain off and reserve the pork stock. Lift out the pork pieces and pat them dry with paper towels. Heat the lard in a large skillet and saute the pork pieces until they are lightly browned on all sides. Set them aside.

To make the sauce, remove the stems and seeds from the ancho, mulato, and pasilla chilies. Tear them into pieces, put them in a bowl and pour hot water over them barely to cover, about 2 cups. Let them stand for 30 minutes, turning the pieces from time to time. In a blender or food processor combine the chilies and the water in which they have soaked with the onions, garlic, tomatoes, and tortillas or toast, and blend the mixture until it forms a paste. Do this in two lots if necessary. Transfer the paste to a bowl. Rinse out and dry the container of the blender or food processor and add the almonds, peanuts, raisins, 2 Tablespoons of the sesame seeds, and the coriander seed, the anise, the cloves, and the cinnamon stick (broken up), and blend the mixture well. Mix thoroughly with the chili paste.

Measure the lard left in the skillet from sauteing the pork and add enough to bring the quantity up to 4 Tablespoons. Add the chili paste and saute over moderate heat, stirring, for 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to the saucepan or casserole in which the pork was cooked. Stir in 2 cups of the reserved pork stock and the chocolate, cut into pieces. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook the mixture over low heat, stirring until the chocolate is melted and adding more pork stock if necessary to make the sauce the consistency of heavy cream. Stir in the sugar, if liked. Add the pork and simmer it, covered, for 30 minutes. Arrange the pork and sauce in a serving dish. In a small skillet toast the remaining sesame seeds and sprinkle them over the pork.

Serve with tortillas, white rice, beans, and guacamole.

Serves 10

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