In a large, dry skillet over medium heat, toast chiles, turning often. Watch carefully and remove them immediately as soon as you detect a whiff of flavor; any burning will make them bitter. This takes just a minute, but will probably have to be done in batches. Allow to cool, pop off the stem area, and shake out any seeds. Cover with boiling water and let steep until soft and pliable, 20 minutes or so. Drain, tear apart, and discard any remaining seeds as well as the soaking water. See alternative methods in the body of the text.

Start with two cups of stock and blend in two stages. Add the chiles to blender along with enough stock to get the blender going. Start with about a cup and add a little more if needed. As a paste starts to form and there is room in the blender, add the remaining ingredients: the onion, garlic, sugar, vinegar, oregano, coriander (or cumin), and salt. Add any remaining of the original 2 cups of stock. Blend until a thick, very smooth paste is formed. If more stock is needed, add bit by bit from the 3rd cup of stock, adding just enough to thoroughly blend the ingredients. Take your time blending; the paste needs to be smooth with no chunks.

Place pork in a glass dish or bowl, or in a large ziploc bag (place that in a container in case of leaks.) Pour the sauce over, stirring or massaging to coat all the pork, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to cook, preheat oven to 300 degrees and bake, covered, until meat is nearly tender, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. At this point, taste the sauce and add more sugar, salt, or vinegar if needed.

Place the dish, uncovered, back into the oven and continue to bake another 30 to 45 minutes until the sauce is thickened, the pork noticeably darker and the chunks of meat nearly fall apart when gently pressed. Ovens vary. Check on it every 10 to 15 minutes.

Leftovers:

• Leftovers are outstanding and keep tightly covered in the fridge for four to five days. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave so as not to toughen meat (defrost setting on a microwave works well.) A little water may be needed.
• Carne Adovad freezes well; use within 3 months for best quality. Thaw overnight and heat as above.