In a large deep skillet, add the pork. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Cover and turn heat to medium. The pork will continue cooking for 1 hour and 30 minutes. More or less. Once the liquid has evaporated, then you will start to flip and turn them over to get some nice browning all around. This will take another 10 minutes. Turn as needed.

After 5 minutes both the pork and cactus will begin to release their liquid. Reduce the heat slightly on the nopales. The cactus(nopales) you will continue cooking, stirring every now and then for the next 20-25 minutes. Once the nopales have released all their liquid, watch them closely. Once most of the liquid has evaporated and nopales have cooked through, remove from the heat.

In a skillet, add the onion, garlic and dried chiles. Heat to medium. Once the peppers become aromatic, drizzle in 1 ½ tsps. of oil. Toss ingredients so they have an even coat of oil. You will continue tossing and flipping the ingredients for the next 3-4 minutes. Remove the dried chiles and continue pan roasting the onions and garlic for another 5-6 minutes. Add the cumin seeds, all spice, cloves and cinnamon. Cook for just 40 seconds. Add the chiles back in. Pour in 4 cups of water. Reduce heat and cook for 7-8 minutes. Remove from the heat and reserve.

Once the pork is tender and browned nicely, reduce the heat to low.

To the blender jar, add all of the ingredients, including all of the liquid from the pan with the chile pasilla. Add salt to taste. Cover and blend on high until very smooth. I have a power blender, so I don’t need to strain it anymore. If you don’t, I would strain the pasilla salsa through a wire mesh strainer.