About ⅓ cup vegetable oil or fresh-rendered pork lard (divided use)

2 medium dried ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded and torn into 4 pieces

3 medium dried mulato chiles, stemmed, seeded and torn into 4 pieces

4 medium dried pasilla chiles, stemmed, seeded and torn into 4 pieces

½ small (two ounces total) white onion, roughly chopped

3 garlic cloves, peeled

About 6 cups chicken broth, plus more if needed (divided use)

½ cup almonds (skinned or unskinned)

⅓ cup sesame seeds

½ cup raisins

⅔ of a 15-ounce can (1 cup) tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted, with juice

2 slices firm white bread, darkly toasted and torn into several pieces

4 or 5 ground cloves (⅛ teaspoon ground cloves)

½ inch Mexican canela (½ teaspoon ground cinnamon)

½ teaspoon black peppercorns (½ teaspoon ground black pepper)

⅛ teaspoon anise seeds (⅛ teaspoon ground anise)

⅓ cup (about 2 ounces) chopped Mexican chocolate

Salt

Sugar