Step 1

Combine pork, sliced onion, 6 garlic cloves, salt, bay leaves and oregano in a large soup pot. Cover with water by 2-inches and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Step 2

Skim off any foam, lower the heat to a simmer, and cover. Cook until pork is very tender, about 3 hours.

Step 3

Meanwhile, place chiles in a dry cast iron frying pan or comal and toast on all sides until darker in color and fragrant. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and cover with hot water. Let soak until soft, about 30 minutes.

Step 4

Drain chiles (saving the water) and place in a blender. Add chopped onion, garlic, cumin, cloves, and salt, and about 1/2 cup of the chile soaking liquid. Blend on high until smooth (you may need to add more soaking liquid to get the blender moving).

Step 5

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Carefully pour the chile sauce into the hot oil (it will splatter) and stir until sauce is fragrant and fried, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Step 6

Once pork is tender and easily pulls away with a fork, remove it from the broth and set aside to cool. Strain broth, discard the solids and wash out the pot. Return broth to the pot, you should have about 10 cups. Add more water if needed.

Step 7

Return broth to a simmer. Once pork is cool enough to handle, shred into bite-sized pieces, removing any gristle or fat. Return shredded pork to the pot with the broth. Add chile sauce and hominy and bring to a simmer. Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve with as many of the garnishes as you’d like.