To make the sauce: Remove stems and split each chile lengthwise to remove the seeds; add more chile de arbol if you like a spicier sauce. Rinse chiles with water and place in a medium saucepan. Cut an “X” through the skin of each tomato. Submerge chiles and tomatoes with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 minute. Take off heat, and then remove tomato and set aside on a cutting board. Cover the saucepan and allow chiles to soak for 10 minutes.
Add peeled and seeded tomatoes to a blender, along with one clove of garlic, quarter of an onion, 1½ teaspoons of kosher salt, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and rehydrated chiles. Add 1½ cups of chile water to the blender. Blend until smooth.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Season pheasant pieces with salt and place them in a medium enameled Dutch oven. Pour the salsa roja over the pheasant and bring to a simmer. Then cover the Dutch oven and bake in the oven for 2 hours, or until pheasant becomes tender. Stir halfway through and check that the sauce isn’t scorching—add a splash of water if needed.
About 20 minutes before the pheasant is ready, cut the tortillas into eighths. Heat 2 inches of oil in a medium saucepan to 350 degrees. Fry tortilla wedges in batches until golden and crispy, about 4 minutes, allowing the oil to come back to temperature with each new batch. Drain on paper towels.
Remove pheasant from sauce and shred. Reheat the sauce over the stove—add a splash of water if it seems dry. Then take off heat. Add fried tortilla chips to the warmed sauce and gently stir to coat. Transfer coated tortilla to plates. Garnish to taste with shredded pheasant, crumbled cotija cheese, crema, radish, red onion, cilantro and avocado. Serve immediately.
