Lentejas En Adobo (Lentils with Chilies, Pork and Pineapple)

LENTILS:

Run the lentils through your hands to make sure there are no stones orother foreign bodies in them. Rinse them in two changes of water and putinto a pan. Add onion, salt to taste, and enough water to come about 2inches above the surface of the lentils. Set over medium heat and bring toa fast simmer. Continue simmering until the lentils are quite soft - about3 hours, depending on their age. Keep a pan of near-boiling water on theside, ready to add if necessary.

Put the pork pieces into a pan; add salt to taste and water to cover. Bringto a fast simmer and continue simmering until the pork is tender but notsoft - about 25 minutes. Strain, reserving the broth, and set broth andmeat aside.

Cover the dried chilies with boiling water and leave to soak for about 15minutes, until the chilies have softened and become fleshy. Drain and putinto a blender with 1 cup of the reserved pork broth, the broiled tomatoes,garlic, oregano, clove, and cinnamon; blend until smooth, adding more brothonly if needed to release the blades of the blender.

Heat the lard in a small frying pan, add the blended ingredients, and fryover medium heat, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan, untilreduced and well seasoned - about 4 minutes. Add to the lentils and add thepork, remaining broth, plantain, and pineapple; simmer together for about30 minutes. Adjust salt and add water if necessary. The mixture should belike a thick soup.