Recipe courtesy of Lito's Mexican Restaurant
Pork Chile Verde
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings
- Total: 1 hr 40 min
- Active: 40 min
Ingredients
6 to 8 cups lard (see Cook's Note)
4 pounds pork butt or pork shoulder, cut into medium chunks
4 jalapeños, medium chopped
4 yellow chiles, medium chopped
2 green bell peppers, medium chopped
1 onion, medium chopped
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 pounds green tomatillos
2 Anaheim chiles, medium chopped
6 to 8 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
Salt and pepper
Directions
- In a large saucepan, heat up the lard on low heat until it runs clear. Add the pork and let cook, undisturbed, for 10 minutes, then stir and cook until golden brown, about 10 minutes more. Remove the pork to a container. Remove the extra lard from the saucepan, leaving only a few tablespoons to start sautéing the veggies.
- On low to medium heat, add the jalapeños, yellow chiles, bell peppers, onions and bay leaves. Sauté until caramelized, 5 to 7 minutes. Use this time to blend your tomatillos and Anaheim chiles with 2 cups water and set aside in a bowl. Blend the garlic, oregano, Italian seasoning, cloves, cumin and thyme with 3 cups water.
- Add the blended spices to the caramelized veggies and let cook for about 5 minutes on low heat. Add the tomatillo blend as well as salt and pepper to taste. (I’d recommend 1 teaspoon of each, but it will be your call.)
- Add the pork and more water if needed to allow the sauce to loosen up. Cook, uncovered, over low heat, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn’t stick, until the pork is tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Enjoy.
Cook’s Note
Use pork lard for a more flavorful dish, but cooking oil can be used as an alternative. Make sure your chunks of pork aren’t cut too small to prevent it from drying out. For a spicier dish, add a few more jalapeños or serrano chiles.