Tinga de Pollo — Chipotle-braised shredded chicken

Place the chicken thighs in a pot with the halved onion, 4 garlic cloves, and salt. Cover with cold water (about 1 L). Bring to a boil, skim any foam, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and let it cool enough to handle. Reserve 200 ml of the poaching liquid.

Char the tomatoes directly on a dry comal or under a broiler, turning, until the skins are blackened and the tomatoes are soft, about 8 minutes.

Blend the charred tomatoes, chipotle chiles, adobo sauce, and oregano until smooth. Add a splash of the reserved poaching liquid if needed to get it moving.

Pull the chicken from the bone and shred it into generous pieces. Discard the skin and bones.

Heat the oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring, until softened and beginning to char at the edges, about 5 minutes.

Pour in the blended chipotle-tomato sauce — it will spit. Fry, stirring, for 3 minutes until the sauce darkens slightly and no longer smells raw.

Add the shredded chicken and 100 ml of the reserved poaching liquid. Stir to combine. Simmer over medium heat for 8–10 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken. Taste and adjust salt.

Serve on tostadas spread with refried beans, topped with tinga, crema, and sliced avocado. Or use as a taco filling with warm corn tortillas.