Pork Chili Verde

If you want to impress the friends, fam, or whomever with your cooking prowess, this is a recipe to try.  Pork Chili Verde is so tasty and flavorful that you will love to make this again and again.  Here’s the best part, it’s super easy!

Chili Peppers for the stew

Pork Chili Verde is a Mexican stew that uses fresh peppers and pork butt as the main components of the dish.  For the peppers, Anaheim peppers are the main chili pepper.  Anaheims are in season in late summer and just make a wonderful part of this dish.  If you’re lucky enough to get fresh Hatch peppers, then definitely use them.  Hatch Peppers are a variety of Anaheims grown around Hatch, New Mexico, and the flavor is unmatched.  Anaheim peppers have a mild heat level (Hatch peppers vary a bit more and are usually labeled “hot” or “mild”,) so if you’re looking for some heat you can add a couple of hotter peppers for your tastes.  If you can’t find Anaheim peppers, you can substitute poblano peppers.

Roasting for Flavor

Roasting peppers does a couple of things to improve the peppers in this stew.
First, it will help intensify the flavor from the peppers.  This can be done in the oven or over a gas flame.  I prefer to grill the peppers to add that extra bit of flavor, however.  Grill the peppers until the skins are blackened, then place in a resealable plastic bag or bowl and allow to cool.  That brings us to the second improvement, removing the skin.  After cooling, the skin of the pepper will just peel off, and it also will make it easier to stem and seed the peppers.  That way you won’t get those tough bits of skin in the stew, just the great flavor!  Along with the peppers, I also grill-roast the tomatillos, onion, and garlic for just an amazing flavor that you can’t get anyway else.

Pork Chili Verde

Pork Chili Verde uses pork butt for the meat in the stew.  As usual, I’m always going to use amazing Prairie Fresh Pork.  The marbling and flavor is so amazing!  I usually get one 8-10 lb butt, trim it of excess fat, and cut the meat into cubes.  I will use 1/2 the meat for a batch of this stew, and either freeze the other half or make a dish like Yucatan Pork or Winter Pork Stew with the remaining meat.  Pork butt cooked or braised for hours takes on an amazing flavor and texture.  This stew will take 2-3 hours to cook, but the work is in the beginning and then you just get to enjoy that aroma until dinner.

As always, I hope you enjoy it!

Pork Chili Verde with lime Crema

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• Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
• Yield: 6 people 1x

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Description

This stew is so fresh and full of flavor. The fresh chili peppers, the tomatillos, cilantro, onions and garlic are an amazing palate for the slow-cooked pork.

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Ingredients

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• 3–4 lbs pork butt, excess fat removed and cubed
• 2 lbs anaheim peppers
• 1/2 lb tomatillos, husked and washed
• 2 TBS canola oil, divided
• 1 TBS dried oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cups chicken stock
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 onion, diced
• 3/4 cup cilantro leaved, lightly packed
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup Mexican crema
• juice from one lime

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Instructions

1. Mix together crema and lime juice and refrigerate

For the Peppers, Tomatillos and garlic

1. This step can be done in a 350-degree oven or on a grill for added flavor- Toss Anaheim peppers and tomatillos in oil.  Trim off the upper ¼ of the head of garlic, then place in aluminum foil and form a “boat” around the garlic.  Place garlic on the grill on indirect heat for 30-40 minutes or until soft.  Grill peppers and tomatillos until blackened.  Remove from grill or oven, placing peppers in a resealable plastic bag.  Allow to cool. Remove skin, seeds, and stems from peppers, then place peppers, tomatillos, garlic cloves (squeeze out the roasted cloves,) and cilantro into a blender.  Puree, then set aside.  

For the Pork and stew

1. Season pork with salt and pepper, then toss with flour.  In Dutch oven, heat oil over medium high heat.  Add pork in batches and brown.  Remove from heat and set aside.  Add onion and brown for 4-5 minutes.  Add chicken stock and scrape bottom of pan to release fond.  Add oregano, bay leaves, pork and pepper puree to Dutch oven.  Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.  Cook, covered, for 2-3 hours or until pork is tender.  Adjust for seasonings. 
2. Spoon into boils and add a drizzle of lime crema. Serve with rice and/or tortillas. Leftovers can be frozen.

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 3 hours
• Category: Main Dish