You know those recipes we hold near and dear to our hearts because they are really the greatest ever of all time? Well, we’re using this series as an opportunity to wax poetic about them. Recipe developer Rick Martinez's mom's chili Colorado, to be exact. They truly are the greatest recipe of all time. Here’s why.

My mom was an amazing cook and she's the reason why I cook today. She even got me my first subscription to Bon Appétit when I was 16. Even though I loved just about every dish she made, there is one that immediately comes to mind when I think of home (and what I always want to eat): Chili Colorado. It’s a traditional Mexican dish of beef or pork stewed in a red chili sauce—chili “colored red,” not chili from the state of Colorado. Most people who make it now use chili powder. Not my mom. She used freshly dried chiles (like, the kind that have not been sitting around on a store shelf for a year getting dry and brittle).

When I was little, I remember her buying different varieties of dried chiles from the markets in Mexico and Texas. After experimenting with different combinations to make this dish, she discovered her favorite combination: ancho, pasilla, and guajillo. In her Chili Colorado, these chiles are the star. I was always amazed at how much flavor and complexity they added to the dish.

My greatest memory of all time is coming home to mom’s smile, the sound of her rolling pin rolling out the homemade flour tortillas and the smell of the chili simmering on the stove. Now, when I think of my mom or I feel homesick, I make this dish.

Here’s how you do it. Take 5 anchos, 2 pasillas, and 2 guajillos, and remove the stems and seeds. Look for chiles that are soft and pliable, like a raisin. If they are brittle, they are old and will be flavorless—don't use them!

Cover chiles with 3 cups of boiling chicken stock and let them steam, covered with plastic wrap, for about 30 minutes until they are plump and tender. Put the chiles and all of the soaking liquid into a blender and purée until very smooth.

Cut 2 pounds of boneless pork shoulder into ½” pieces, season with salt and pepper, and brown the meat in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat with a little bit of vegetable oil to keep it from sticking. Chop up a bunch of garlic (about 6 garlic cloves) and throw it in the pot along with two bay leaves, a tablespoon of ground cumin, and a couple of teaspoons of chopped fresh sage and chopped fresh oregano (Mexican oregano if you have it). Stir that around for about a minute, or until very fragrant. Add in 5 cups of chicken stock and simmer uncovered for about an hour. Then, stir in the chile purée and simmer for another 45 minutes until the meat is very tender and the sauce is a thick, mahogany-red color. Season with additional salt and pepper.

My mom served this with Mexican rice, beans a la charra, and flour tortillas. But just give me a bowl of Chili Colorado and a stack of homemade tortillas and I am a happy man. Thanks mom—for the greatest recipe of all time.

Here's another (very different) recipe with chili: