Fall

Green Chile Pork

by:
September 23, 2014
5
2 Ratings
Green Chile Pork
  • Serves about 6
Author Notes

The beauty of this recipe is that you can use it for so many things. Of course, I love to eat it in traditional chili fashion; straight up from a bowl, topped with a drizzle of hot sauce, a squeeze of lime, a smattering of fresh cilantro, and a couple of warm tortillas to sop it all up. But let’s not discount the other myriad uses for this delightful dish - piled atop nachos, stuffed into quesadillas, rolled up into enchiladas - really the possibilities are endless. And when it comes to pure aromatic bliss - well, let’s just say, your house is going to smell absolutely amazing with a pot of this stuff simmering away on your stovetop. —Sarah | Wisconsin from Scratch

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 5 anaheim chile peppers, halved and seeded
  • 3 poblano chile peppers, halved and seeded
  • 3/4 pound tomatillos, husked and roughly chopped
  • 1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth
  • 2 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons oil or bacon fat, divided
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1 teaspoon chile powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder (or more to taste)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (1 lime's worth)
  • Fresh cilantro, warm tortillas, lime wedges and hot sauce for serving
Directions
  1. Roast green chiles: place peppers, skin side up, in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with foil. Place baking sheet on top rack in oven and broil on high until peppers are blackened and blistering, about 10-12 minutes.
  2. Immediately transfer peppers to a medium bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let tomatoes and peppers sit inside the bowl for 5-10 minutes (this steams them, which will make the skins much easier to remove).
  3. Peel charred skins off of peppers, discard skins. Chop peppers into thin strips and set aside.
  4. While peppers are roasting/steaming, blend tomatillos and chicken broth using a food processor or blender until a smooth consistency is achieved. Set tomatillo mixture aside.
  5. In a large bowl, toss the chopped pork shoulder with the flour, 1 tsp salt, and ½ tsp pepper, until pork pieces are evenly coated.
  6. Heat 2 tsp of the oil or bacon fat in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat, and once hot, add half of the pork pieces in a single layer. Cook, 1-2 minutes per side, until pork is browned on all sides. Remove pork from pot and place on a paper-towel lined plate.
  7. Heat another 2 tsp of the oil or bacon fat in the pot and repeat step 6 with the remaining pork pieces. Once browned, transfer to plate as well.
  8. Add the final 2 tsp of oil or bacon fat to the pot, add the onion, garlic, cumin, chile powder, ½ tsp salt, and cayenne pepper. Cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
  9. Add the chopped roasted green chiles, and cook 1 additional minute.
  10. Add the tomatillo mixture, tomato paste, lime juice, pork and 1 cup water. Stir to combine.
  11. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
  12. After 2 hours, pork should be very tender and shreddable. Break pork apart with a large fork, and stir. Season to taste with salt. You can serve as is, or continue to cook, uncovered, for an additional 10 minutes for a thicker consistency if desired. Ladle into bowls and serve with fresh cilantro, warm tortillas, lime wedges and hot sauce.
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4 Reviews

Jeannette B.
Jeannette B. October 8, 2020
I’m planning to make this tomorrow and have a question...

Step 2 says — Immediately transfer peppers to a medium bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let tomatoes and peppers sit inside the bowl for 5-10 minutes (this steams them, which will make the skins much easier to remove).

There are no tomatoes, so I was wondering if the tomatillos should be roasted? Or if it’s just a mistake.
 
Jeannette B.
Jeannette B. October 10, 2020
Update to say that I made this to take to friends and it was a big hit. I just ignored the tomatoes in the directions. Will definitely make it again.
 
joshthompson
joshthompson May 10, 2020
Great recipe! I would suggest cutting the slices of broiled pepper into smaller pieces. The peppers seemed a little slimy in the final product. I love extra spice, so I seasoned the pork pieces with a little cayenne and it came out perfectly. No problems and easy to make. Loved it!
 
Megan T.
Megan T. March 10, 2015
This recipe is a definite winner and a crowd pleaser! We threw in two serrano peppers in step #8 to add some extra spice and it was just the perfect amount of spicy. I love how you can eat this in many formats, but our favorites included dipping flour tortillas, tacos, and over spanish rice. Can't wait to make this again!