Chile Verde is a dish you want to cook on the weekend when you’re puttering around the house and have a few hours to spare. It’s not that you’ll be standing over the stove the entire day. In fact most of the cooking time is done in the oven.
Tomatillos are part of the nightshade family (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant) little green orbs tucked inside papery husks.
Cut the tomatillos and peppers in half and turn the broiler on.
Once the peppers cool peel off their skin.
Place roasted tomatillos in a bowl to cool slightly.
I prefer to trim off as much of the fat as I can which eliminates having to spoon it off later as the stew simmers.
Brown pork in three batches.
Pork Chile Verde (8 servings)
Ingredients
4 1/2 pounds pork butt trimmed well and cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes, you will end up with about 4 pounds after trimming
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon flour
1 1/2 pounds tomatillos
2 – 3 poblano peppers
1 large Anaheim pepper
2 serano peppers
1 jalapeño pepper
1 large onion (about 2 cups finely diced)
3 garlic cloves minced
2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Preparation
Preheat oven to 325 degrees with oven rack on lower third level.
Trim pork well and cut into 1 1/2 – 2- inch cubes. Place pork in a large bowl and sprinkle on oregano, cumin and salt and mix to coat pieces of pork. Add flour and mix again distributing seasonings and flour evenly. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Remove the papery husk from the tomatillos and rinse well. Slice tomatillos in half and place cut side down on a large baking sheet (line pan with heavy-duty foil for easy clean up). Wearing disposable gloves cut the peppers in half and remove their seeds. The poblanos are a bit larger than the other peppers so cut these in quarters. Place all the peppers cut side down on the baking sheet with the tomatillos.
Place the baking sheet on the highest rack of your oven or about 4 inches below the heating element. Broil until the tomatillos and peppers are charred. It will typically take about 8-10 minutes before the peppers are ready, watch closely removing tomatillos or pepper pieces as they become blistered. Let peppers cool slightly then remove their skin.
Place tomatillos in a food processor. Coarsely chop peppers and add to the tomatillos. Pulse until blended but still a bit chunky. Set aside.
In a large dutch oven (I use a 5 1/2 quart Le Creuset Dutch oven) add a tablespoon of canola oil and heat on medium. Add diced onions and garlic and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Remove the onions and garlic and place in a small bowl.
Add more oil to the pan and sear pork in 3 batches until browned on two sides but not cooked through. Once you add the pork to your pan, leave it alone for about 5 minutes without turning so that it has time to form a nice crust. If you attempt to turn the pieces over too early you will notice they will stick to the pan. Wait a few minutes and when the pork is ready you will be able to easily turn them without resistance. Remove browned pork to a bowl as you continue with the other batches adding additional oil as needed.
Add broth to the pan and scrape the bottom to release browned bits. Add pork, onions and garlic, tomatillo and pepper mixture back to the pan. Bring to a boil then cover and transfer to the oven. Set the timer for 2 to 2 1/2hours. Remove pot from the oven and check to see that pork is pull apart tender. Place pot on the stove top and bring to a lively simmer to reduce the sauce a bit. Alternatively, you may cover and simmer the pork on the stovetop for about 2 1/2 hours, adjusting the heat as needed. Check for doneness, remove lid and reduce sauce in pan if you prefer it a bit thicker.
Off the heat, stir cilantro and additional salt if needed.
***If you prefer more heat, roast additional serrano or jalapeño peppers.
The chile verde is delicious served with rice and beans or in a soft flour tortilla. Leftovers freeze well for a quick dinner on a busy work day.