Pork Chile Verde

I love love love Mexican food. And just like anything else, it’s not always easy to find good, authentic, and fresh Mexican food. Big cities are usually a sure-thing for great Mexican food. I think that must be because there is so much competition with restaurants in big cities, that in order to survive, these places have to offer delicious food. But what about those of us not in big cities? What about us suburbanites? Don’t we deserve good food too? Hell yeah we do! So when my husband couldn’t find a good Chile Verde served anywhere in our vicinity, I took matters into my own hands and made the most delicious Pork Chile Verde.

At almost every Mexican restaurant, my husband usually orders the same thing- Chile Verde. If you haven’t tried it, it’s insanely delicious. Just imagine pieces of pork cooked in a homemade salsa verde until it’s so tender and flavorful that it’s falling apart. Now wipe up any drool on your chin.

So, as I consider myself an expert on waffles, I consider him an expert on Pork Chile Verde. And he gave this recipe two thumbs waaay up.

Let me show you how I made this Pork Chile Verde 👇🏻

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Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. 

Roasting Chiles 101.

Start by roasting about 5 medium Anaheim and 2 Poblano chiles. To roast the chiles, you have two options: One-line a baking sheet with foil and broil the chiles until the skin is charred, turning to char all sides. Or two- lay the chiles (one at a time) on a gas burner and turn until all sides of the chile is charred.

I prefer the burner method, simply because I find it easier to watch and control, but either way will work. With either choice, just make sure that your kitchen is well ventilated and make sure that you don’t get too close to the charring peppers. You can burn your eyes or throat from the smoky air while charring peppers. Learned that one the hard way. 

Once a pepper is charred, place it in a large bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. You want to burn the heck out of them. (I stopped a little short with these because I was in a hurry, but don’t be scared to really char them) Once all of the peppers are charred, allow them to sit for 10 minutes. The steam from the peppers will help you to remove that outer layer of charred skin.

Removing the Chile Skin.

Use gloves, if you have them, to remove that outer layer and discard it. Remove as much of the skin as you can. It’s okay if there are a few charred spots left behind- the black flecks look beautiful in the finished product anyway.

Then de-seed and dice the chiles. Keep the Anaheim and the poblano chiles seperate.

Tomatillos.

Now moving onto the tomatillos. Tomatillos can be found in the produce section of your grocery. I usually find them somewhere around the tomatoes or avocados. They have papery husks on the outside and they look like a sticky, green tomato once you remove the husk. To prep them, remove the papery husk and give them a good wash. Cut away and majorly bruised bits.

Making the Verde Sauce.

Place 1 Lb of husked and washed tomatillos into a large sauce pot along with 2 (halved and seeded) jalapeños. Fill the sauce pot with enough water to just cover the peppers. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to a medium. Simmer for 5 minutes until the peppers are just barely soft. Drain immediately.

Place the tomatillos, jalapeños, diced Anaheim chiles into a food processor. Also add 4 (peeled) garlic cloves and 1 tsp of salt. Pulse until smooth. Set aside.

Moving onto the Pork.

Now, we are going to sear the pork to get it as flavorful as possible. Season 2.5 Lbs of pork that has been cut into bite-sized pieces with 1 tsp EACH salt and pepper. Add 2 Tbsp of vegetable oil to a Dutch oven (or a large pot with a lid) over high heat. Add half of the pork and cook until well browned. You only want to cook half of the pork at a time so that you can develop some nice color on the pork (too much crowding in the pot will only steam the pork). 

Once the first half of pork is browned, remove to a bowl. Add the other 2 tbsps of vegetable oil and add the remaining pork and cook until browned.

Everybody in the Pot.

Once all of the pork is browned, add the first batch back to the pot, along with the diced charred poblano chiles and 1 cup of diced onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft.

Add 1 tbsp cumin, 1/2 tsp ground cloves, and 1 tsp EACH salt and pepper. Cook for another 2 minutes. 

Now add the tomatillo mixture from the food processor, along with the juice of 1 lime, 1 cup of water, and one bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and then let simmer for about 5-10 minutes until the salsa has thickened slightly.

Final Step- into the Oven for Tenderizing.

Once the salsa has slightly thickened, cover, and place in the oven. Cook for an hour to an hour and a half until the Chile has thickened and reduced. The pork will be crazy tender. Yes, crazy tender. Throw in some fresh chopped cilantro.

My favorite way to serve this is with white rice (or cilantro lime rice) and black beans. You could also serve it with flour tortillas like they do in the Mexican restaurants.

Enjoy!!

This recipe was adapted from The Mexican Slow Cooker.

These are the recommended products that I used to make this delicious recipe. These are not only products that I use, but products that I love.

Looking for more Mexican recipes? I’ve got you covered. 👇🏻