Mexican Pork Chili Chile Verde Recipes

CHILE VERDE PORK

Steps:

• Season pork pieces on all sides with salt and pepper.
• Heat a large stock pot over high heat. Add oil. Once hot, sear the pork pieces until browned on all sides.
• Remove the pork from the pot. Add a little additional oil to pan, if needed.
• Add onion and saute until tender. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
• Stir in the cumin and oregano. Return pork to the pot and add the chicken broth.
• Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 2-4 hours.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce.
• Place rack on second to top level of oven and turn the oven to high broil.
• Lightly spray a jelly roll pan with cooking oil. Wash the poblano peppers, jalapeños and tomatillos.
• Slice the tomatillo 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. (See my note below about spice level). Do not seed the tomatillos.
• Place the poblano peppers, jalapeño and tomatillos on baking sheets cut side down. Broil for about 7-10 minutes or until browned.
• Immediately place peppers in a plastic bag and tie the bag. Allow them to steam for 5 minutes, and then peel off their outer layer of skin. (It should come off easily)
• Add the peppers, tomatillos and cilantro to a blender and puree.
• Add mixture to the pot with the pork and cook everything together for an additional 30 to 45 minutes.
• Serve with tortillas, and a side of Mexican rice and beans.

PORK CHILI VERDE

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler and place the poblano chiles in a skillet or on a baking sheet. Broil the chiles for about 5 minutes per side. Immediately place the chiles in a paper sack or plastic food-storage bag, close it tightly, and let the chiles steam for 20 minutes. To peel the chiles, remove them from the bag and gently rub off the skins. Remove the seeds, dice them and set them aside.
• In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease over medium-low heat. Lightly salt and pepper the pork and add to the pot, browning on each side, 2 to 5 minutes per side. You may have to do this in batches. Once browned, transfer the pork to a large bowl, pouring the pan juices into the bowl.
• Return the pot to the stove and heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of bacon grease over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.
• Return the pork and its juices to the pot. Add the poblano chiles, jalapeno chiles, tomatillos, chicken broth, Mexican lager, cumin, oregano, allspice, cay enne, and 1/2 cup of the cilantro. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil; then turn the heat down to low and gently simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours, stirring occasionally and skimming any fat from the surface.
• Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook, uncovered, until the pork is tender, anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes more. To thicken the chili, in a bowl mix together the masa harina with 2 table spoons of the chili liquid. Stir this back into the pot, along with the remaining 1/2 cup cilantro and the lime juice. Cook until the chili has thickened, 10 more minutes. Serve with sour cream and shredded Monterey Jack cheese.

MEXICAN PORK CHILI (CHILE VERDE)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine tomatillos, serrano peppers, and garlic in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Transfer to a baking sheet.
• Place in the preheated oven and roast until tender, about 30 minutes. Remove vegetables from oven, cool slightly, and transfer to the bowl of a food processor. Puree until smooth. Reduce oven temperature to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).
• While vegetables are roasting, heat lard in a Dutch oven or heavy oven-safe pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with garlic salt and pepper and add to the pot in batches. Cook each batch until browned, about 7 minutes, removing to a plate with a slotted spoon. Drain and discard all but 2 tablespoons pan drippings.
• Add onion and bell pepper to the pot. Saute, stirring occasionally, until onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour wine into the pan and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in browned pork, tomatillo puree, chicken stock, cilantro, oregano, cumin, and salt.
• Cover and cook in the oven until pork is tender, 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Allow to stand for 15 minutes, covered, before serving.

AUTHENTIC MEXICAN PORK CHILE VERDE

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees. In a small bowl mix the salt, chili powder, oregano, granulated garlic, and cumin. Coat the pork on all sides with the rub, massaging the spices into the meat. Let the pork sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 before browning.
• In a food processor or blender, purée the tomatillos, canned chiles, garlic, onion, oregano, and beer.
• Brown the roast on a roasting pan for 30 minutes in the oven.
• Remove the pork from the oven and reduce temperature to 250 degrees. Place the pork in a 13x9-inch heavy-duty disposable drip pan. Pour the tomatillo mixture around the pork so it comes up the sides of the pork by 1 inch or so. Seal the pan tightly with foil, and place the pan in the center of the oven. Cook the pork until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 190°F and the meat is so tender that it tears easily with a fork, 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours.
• When the pork is fully cooked, carefully remove the pan from the oven. Unwrap the pork (be careful of the steam) and transfer it to a cutting board. Chop the pork into 1/2-inch chunks and shreds, discarding any large pieces of fat or tough pieces of meat. Pour the pan liquid into a large saucepan and spoon off most of the surface fat. Add the shredded meat and simmer the mixture uncovered for a few minutes to blend the flavors. Season with the cilantro, Tabasco, as well as salt and pepper to taste. The chile verde may be made up to this point 1 day ahead of serving and refrigerated overnight. Warm the chile verde over a slow simmer before serving.
• Serve the chile verde warm in bowls with steamed rice. Pass the sour cream, limes wedges, and a bottle of Tabasco.

MEXICAN PORK CHILI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Season the pork shoulder with salt, pepper, fennel and cumin. Take a large roasting dish and place over medium-high heat. Add a 3-count of olive oil and sear pork shoulder all over until golden brown on the outside, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Add vegetables, spreading out tomatillos, poblanos, onion, garlic and bay leaf around the seared pork shoulder. Drizzle with olive oil, squeeze lime juice all over and season with salt and pepper. Cover the whole tray with aluminum foil and roast in the oven for 2 to 2 1/2 hours until the pork is falling apart. Remove from oven, set the pork aside and pull apart. Rake all the other ingredients into a blender (a bit at a time) with the bunch of fresh cilantro and process until smooth. Pour into a large Dutch oven. Set over medium heat and add chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and whisk in masa harina to thicken the sauce up. Fold in shredded pork shoulder and season with salt and pepper to finish. Serve with Chili bar toppings.