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A pot of chile verde topped with cilantro and lime wedges.
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Chile Verde

This chile verde is chunks of pork in a green tomatillo sauce, all simmered together until the meat is fall-apart tender. A Mexican classic that's packed with flavor and makes for a unique and unexpected dinner option.
Course Main
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 50 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 221kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

For the pork

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 3 pounds pork shoulder cut into 1 inch pieces
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 onion peeled and diced
  • 1 tablespoon garlic minced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano Mexican oregano if possible

For the sauce

  • 1 1/2 pounds tomatillos husks removed
  • 4 poblano peppers cored and halved lengthwise, seeds and ribs removed
  • 2 jalapeno peppers cored and halved lengthwise, seeds and ribs removed
  • 1 cup cilantro leaves
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • cooking spray
  • toppings for serving such as sour cream, cilantro and tortilla strips

Instructions

For the pork

  • Heat the oil in a large oven safe pot over medium heat.
  • Season the pork pieces with salt and pepper.
  • Place half of the pork in the pot. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until browned.
  • Remove the pork from the pot. Repeat the process with the remaining pork.
  • Return all the pork back to the pot. Discard excess fat, leaving 1 tablespoon of fat in the pan.
  • Add the onion to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper.
  • Stir in the cumin and oregano.

For the sauce

  • Preheat the broiler. Coat a sheet pan with cooking spray.
  • Place the tomatillos, poblano peppers and jalapeno peppers on the sheet pan.
  • Broil for 5-7 minutes or until vegetables are tender and charred.
  • Place the peppers in a plastic bag and seal. Let the peppers sit in the bag for 4-5 minutes. This will make the skins a lot easier to remove.
  • Take the peppers out of the bag and peel off the skins.
  • Place the tomatillos, peppers, cilantro, salt, pepper and chicken broth in a blender. Blend until smooth.

For the stew

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
  • Pour the sauce into the pot with the pork and onions. Stir to combine.
  • Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover the pot and place it in the oven.
  • Cook for 2 1/2 - 3 hours or until pork is tender.
  • Place the stew into bowls. Add toppings as desired, then serve.

Video

Notes

For a spicier dish, leave some of the ribs and seeds in the jalapeno peppers.

Nutrition

Calories: 221kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 590mg | Potassium: 779mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 490IU | Vitamin C: 69mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 2mg