Tortilla Soup - Rick Bayless

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons fresh-rendered pork lard or oil, divided use
• 1 medium (6 ounce) onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 large (1 ounce total) dried pasilla negro chiles
• 1/2 15 ounce can diced tomatoes (preferably fire-roasted)
• 1 1/2 quarts good chicken broth
• A couple sprigs Epazote (if available)
• Salt
• 6 corn tortillas (preferably store-bought ones that are good for frying), cut into strips a little smaller than ¼ inch
• Oil to a depth of at least ½ inch in a small skillet
• About 1/2 cup Mexican crema or crème fraiche (sour cream will curdle here)
• 8 ounces (about 2 cups) shredded Mexican melting cheese (like Chihuahua, asadero or quesadilla) or Monterey jack, colby or mild cheddar
• 1 large ripe avocado, pit removed, flesh scooped from the skin and cut into ½-inch pieces
• 8 ounces cooked chicken (a rotisserie chicken would be my suggestion) pulled into very coarse shreds (you’ll have about 2 cups)
• A lime, cut into 6 wedges