Café Pasqual's Barbacoa

Ingredients

• 3 ounces jalapeño chilies fresh stemmed rinsed seeded quartered ( 4 total)
• 2  bay leaves dried
• 2 teaspoons thyme leaves dried
• 1 cup fat-skimmed chicken broth 
• 4 cloves garlic minced peeled
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin 
• 0.5 teaspoon coarse-ground pepper 
• 0.5 cup juice of lime 
• 1 pound onions diced peeled
• 1 teaspoon regular oregano dried
• 4 lb boned pork shoulder 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1 pound firm-ripe tomatoes cored rinsed chopped
• 2 tablespoons citrus champagne vinegar 

Equipment

• frying pan
• oven
• sieve
• aluminum foil

Directions

1. In a 9- by 13-inch pan, mix onions, tomatoes, garlic, jalapeos, bay leaves, chicken broth, lime juice, vinegar, thyme, cumin, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Rinse meat, place in pan, and turn to coat. Cover and chill at least 3 hours or up to 1 day, turning meat occasionally. Seal pan with foil.
2. Bake in a 300 oven until meat is tender enough to pull apart easily, 4 to 5 hours. Supporting with 2 slotted spoons, transfer meat to a platter.
3. Pour pan juices through a strainer into a 12-inch frying pan or a 5- to 6-quart pan (discard bay leaves; reserve remaining vegetable mixture); skim and discard fat. Boil juices over high heat until reduced to 1 cup, 25 to 30 minutes.
4. When meat is cool enough to handle, in about 10 minutes, discard string. Use 2 forks or your fingers to pull meat into shreds; discard fat and connective tissue.
5. Add meat and reserved vegetable mixture to pan with juices. Stir occasionally over medium heat until steaming, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt.