Classic Chile Verde
Hefty chunks of heritage pork and white onion are seared in a spoonful of seriously hot lard (gasp!) then slowly simmered in their own juices with stock, roasted tomatillos, Poblano and jalapeño peppers, garlic, cilantro and lime. Served with fresh white corn tortillas on the side..
Classic Chile Verde
Classic Chile Verde (adapted by recipes by Diana Kennedy and Simply Recipes)
1 pound fatty pork loin or shoulder, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1 white onion, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 fresh red or orange Anaheim, Poblano or other mild fresh chile (for color, optional)
2 fresh green Anaheim, Poblano or other mild fresh chile
1 fresh jalapeño pepper
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, loosely packed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon clean white leaf lard
2 cups homemade chicken stock
1/2 pound fresh tomatillos
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1 scant teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
Remove the husks from the tomatillos and rinse under cold water to remove sticky residue. Split tomatillos in half across the equator and arrange cut side up in a foil-lined skillet. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt then roast along with the green chiles in a 450 degree oven until softened and partially charred. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, melt the lard in a heavy skillet over medium high heat until shimmering. Add the pork, onions and red or orange pepper and fry without moving until deep golden brown on one side. Use a tong or slotted spoon to turn the pork and onions over and continue to cook until well browned on the other side. Reduce heat to medium low, add the garlic and cook one minute. Add the stock and oregano cover and slowly simmer 60 minutes.
Peel the chiles, discard the stems and seeds and add to a blender or food processor along with the tomatillos and cilantro. Pulse until mostly smooth, leaving a few small chunks. Pour blended mixture into the pork and stock and stir to combine. Simmer partially covered, stirring occasionally until pork is fork tender, about 30 minutes. Add lime juice and season to taste to salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and serve hot with freshly made corn tortillas.
This post is part of The Nourishing Gourmet’s Pennywise Platter Thursday!
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Heather said,
September 20, 2010 at 5:26 pm
Thanks for this recipe, Ren. It turned out great! Will definitely be a regular go-to.
Ren said,
September 20, 2010 at 7:47 pm
Excellent! Thanks, Heather!
Sustainable Eats said,
September 24, 2010 at 3:05 am
That looks amazing as always. I have a question for you. I smoked a bunch of jalapeno for 3 hours and now I’m not sure how to best preserve them. Would you dry them now? Seed them? Freeze them? I don’t want to pickle and can them since that will change the flavor. I have a feeling you would know what to do…I asked myself “What would Ren do?”…
Ren said,
September 24, 2010 at 7:14 am
Thank you, Annette!
I would definitely dehydrate some of them (store in an airtight container for up to 1 year). The rest I would chop, stir into an adobo sauce and freeze as chipotles en adobo.
Sustainable Eats said,
October 1, 2010 at 11:40 am
Awesome! Thanks Ren. I knew you would know. :)