Pork Chile Verde

Just about as delicious as Mexican gets, and that's saying something! This authentic pork chile verde is easy to make and a recipe you'll want to make again and again!

PORK CHILE VERDE

3 pounds pork loin or pork shoulder , trimmed of fat and cut into 1’’ pieces

1/4 pound bacon, diced

salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons oil (vegetable or canola oil)

1 large onion , chopped

3 cloves garlic , minced

1/2 tablespoon ground cumin

1/2 tablespoon dried oregano leaves

2 cups chicken broth

4 fresh poblano chiles , seeded and sliced in half

2 fresh jalapeño peppers , seeded and sliced in half (*see note below)

1 1/2 pounds fresh tomatillos , husks removed

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped (or flat-leaf parsley, if preferred)

 -Season pork pieces on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large pot over high heat. Add oil. Once hot, add the pork pieces and saute until pieces are browned on all sides, stirring from time to time. Remove the pork from the pot.

-Add the diced bacon and cook until bacon is rendered but not crisp. Remove from pan and set aside, leaving the bacon drippings in the pan.

-Add a tablespoon of additional oil to pot if needed, then saute onion until tender (about 3 minutes). Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Stir in the cumin and oregano, then return pork and bacon to the pot and add the chicken broth. Stir then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 2-4 hours.

-Meanwhile, make the sauce:

-Lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking oil. Peel the papery skin off tomatillos. Wash the poblano peppers, jalapeños and tomatillos. Slice the tomatillos and both types of peppers in half, and remove stems. Seed the peppers and remove the white veins inside if if you do not want the chile verde to be very spicy. Do not seed the tomatillos.

-Place the peppers, jalapeño and tomatillos on the baking sheet cut side down then broil on high for about 7-10 minutes or until skins are dark brown or blackened. Immediately place peppers in a plastic bag, then close the bag. Allow them to steam for 5 minutes, and then peel off the outer layers of skin under running cold water - the skins should come off easily but it’s okay if you aren’t able to peel off all the skin.

-Place peppers, tomatillos and cilantro/parsley in a blender and puree until smooth - about 2 minutes. Add the puree to the pot with the pork, stir and cook everything together for an additional 30 to 45 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper and add more if needed, to your taste.

-Serve warm with tortillas, and a side of White Chile and Garlic Rice. (see recipe on this blog.) . Sour cream and guacamole make excellent condiments for the chile verde. Makes 8 servings.

Season pork pieces, then saute in oil until browned on all sides.

Saute onions in oil until tender.  Add garlic and saute another 30 seconds.

Cut peppers and tomatillos in half, place on a baking tray, and roast until well browned. Remove charred skins and blend to a paste in food processor.  Add to pork mixture.

Season with spices then cook in oven for 2 - 3 hours, or until pork is very tender.

Serve pork chile verde with tortillas or chips with sour cream cream and guacamole if desired.  Mexican white rice is a nice side dish to serve alongside. 

Tender, smoky, pork in a lucious chile verde sauce - Muy Delicioso!

PERSNICKETY NOTES:

**Adapt recipe to your desired spice level:

For Jalapenos:

Very Hot: do not remove seeds and veins from jalapeños. Medium-hot: leave the seeds and veins in one whole jalapeños. Mild: leave seeds and veins in half of a jalapeños. Extra mild: remove all seeds and veins from jalapeños. Even milder: replace jalapenos with 1 can diced green chilies

**As I always note for my recipes, calling for chicken broth or stock or bouillon, I suggest the following scale for the best flavor in your dish. And boy, can a natural chicken flavor make a huge difference!

#1 - Homemade chicken stock (Best) #2 - "Better than Bouillon" stock paste (Best of store-bought stocks or bouillons) #3 - Boxed chicken stock #4 - Canned chicken broth #5 - Magi Chicken bouillon cubes #6 - Knorr's chicken bouillon cubes #7 - Other chicken bouillon cubes