Sunday, January 30, 2011

Pork Chile Verde


Is Pork Chile Verde a bit redundant? Because it does go without saying that there is pork in Chile Verde, right? I couldn't find a recipe that worked for me, so I made it up myself. I bought a 7 pounds pork shoulder and wanted to roast it and save half for another use. Basically, I just rubbed the roast with garlic, squeezed a grapefruit and an orange over it, drizzled some olive oil, and sprinkled it with a teaspoon each of onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, & oregano. Cover the roast with foil and cook on 350 for about 4 hours. Set half of it aside for another use (tamales, carnitas, Cuban sandwiches, etc), and shred the rest for the Chile Verde.



Now for the sauce.

Ingredients:
1 large sweet yellow onion, diced
1 each: red, yellow, & orange bell pepper, diced
1 teaspoon each: ground cumin & cumin seed
salt & pepper to taste
32 ounces chicken stock
10 tomatillos, hulled, and quartered
2 bunches cilantro, plus a handful chopped for garnish
3 1/2 to 4 pounds of cooked pork, shredded or in chunks. (see above)

Directions:
Using a large Dutch Oven or sauce pan, saute the onions & bell peppers in oil (I used corn cuz I am low on olive oil) until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the cumin, cumin seed, salt, & pepper and give it stir. Add the chicken stock and the tomatillos and bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer for 30 minutes. Add the cilantro and very carefully blend the ingredients with an emulsion blender, being careful not to splash yourself with the hot liquid. If you don't have an emulsion blender, run out right now and get one or order on Amazon asap! In the meantime, you could use your regular blender and then return the sauce to the pan. Simmer for another 30 minutes. Add the shredded pork and simmer for at least 15 minutes, but longer is ok. If it gets too thick, you can thin it down with more chicken stock or water. Check for salt & pepper before serving.

Serve with corn tortillas and these suggested garnishes: sour cream, cilantro, diced onions, avocado, pickled jalapenos & pinto beans. You can eat it as a stew or in tacos. Enjoy!!

1 comment:

  1. I intentionally omitted poblanos and jalapenos in the chile verde because my daughter requested a mild version. My husband and I just added our own heat as a garnish. But if you want it spicy, you can add the peppers at the same time as the onions & bell peppers.

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