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
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Ingredients
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5
anaheim chile peppers, halved and seeded
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3
poblano chile peppers, halved and seeded
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3/4 pound
tomatillos, husked and roughly chopped
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1 (14.5 oz) can
chicken broth
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2 pounds
pork shoulder, cut into 1 inch pieces
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1/4 cup
flour
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1 1/2 teaspoons
salt, divided
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1/2 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
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2 tablespoons
oil or bacon fat, divided
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1
medium onion, chopped
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2
garlic cloves, minced
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1 teaspoon
cumin powder
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1 teaspoon
chile powder
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1/4 teaspoon
cayenne pepper powder (or more to taste)
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2 tablespoons
tomato paste
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2 tablespoons
fresh lime juice (1 lime's worth)
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Fresh cilantro, warm tortillas, lime wedges and hot sauce for serving
Directions
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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.
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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).
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Peel charred skins off of peppers, discard skins. Chop peppers into thin strips and set aside.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Add the chopped roasted green chiles, and cook 1 additional minute.
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Add the tomatillo mixture, tomato paste, lime juice, pork and 1 cup water. Stir to combine.
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Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
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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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