Chile Verde

Are you looking for a delicious and easy recipe for chile verde? Look no further! This recipe combines tender pork, tangy tomatillos, roasted poblanos and jalapenos, sweet onions, and flavorful spices for a tasty meal that the whole family will love. Serve this Mexican stew over rice with fresh chopped cilantro, limes, and, if desired, diced avocado.

The Best Chile Verde

This pork chile verde cooks up tender and flavorfully in a few steps using your oven, a couple of old baking sheets, and a Dutch oven or heavy pot covered with aluminum foil. If you want to cut corners or are short on time, use your favorite jarred salsa verde. However, I encourage you to make the homemade salsa verde as the flavor is unparalleled. If you like lots of flavors and original taste in your recipes, try my ropa vieja, beef birria, Cuban black beans, and stuffed poblano peppers.

Ingredients for Chile Verde

• Tomatillos – Tomatillos, also known as Mexican husk tomatoes, are small green tomatoes with a leafy paper-like husk around them. Not every grocery store carries them, so call ahead to see if they are available.
• Jalapenos – Look for the younger peppers that are smooth and green all over with no striations or blemishes. Stay away from peppers with white lines, flecks, and red ones, as these peppers are older and hotter.
• Poblano peppers – A poblano pepper is a mild chili pepper. It is hotter than a green pepper but not as hot as a jalapeno. Their heat level is about half the heat of the mildest jalapeño pepper, making them perfect for this pork chile verde.
• Cilantro – Every good chile verde recipe needs a healthy helping of fresh cilantro.
• Pork shoulder – Or pork butt with most of the fat and connective removed and cut into bite-size pieces.
• Oil – Vegetable oil or canola oil is best for browning.
• Onion – Preferably a sweet yellow onion
• Garlic – Fresh, of course! Minced or sliced.
• Spices – Oregano and cumin
• Chicken broth – Low sodium or homemade chicken stock
• Limes – One for juicing and one for garnishments

How to Make Pork Chile Verde

First, peel the papery husks from the tomatillos. Then rinse the poblanos, tomatillos, and jalapeño peppers under cold water and dry them with paper towels. Slice the jalapenos in half horizontally (see picture). Remove the seeds and veins for a milder salsa verde. Next, coat everything with olive oil and place the poblanos on one baking pan and the tomatillos and the jalapenos on another baking pan.

Then roast them under the oven broiler on high heat for about 9-12 minutes or until blistered. Add the poblanos and jalapenos to a plastic bag and seal them up. Let them steam for 5 minutes, and peel the skin from the peppers. Add the peppers, tomatillos, and cilantro to a food processor and pulse several times until smooth.

Heat a little vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the pork in a single layer and cook until browned, then flip and cook the other side until browned. Work in batches, and don’t crowd the pan. Move the browned pieces of pork to a plate and cover to keep warm.

Add a bit more vegetable oil to the Dutch oven over medium heat if needed. Add the onions and cook until soft. Then, reduce the heat to low and add the minced garlic, oregano, and cumin. Cook for one minute while stirring constantly. Stir in the chicken broth, cooked pork, and tomatillo pepper mixture. Cover the pot and place it in the oven at 325 degrees for 2-2 1/2 hours or until fork tender. Remove from the oven, stir in the lime juice, and sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro. Serve over cilantro lime rice with diced avocado.

Beth’s Recipe Tips

• Tomatillos, also known as Mexican husk tomatoes, are small green tomatoes with a leafy paper-like husk around them. These tasty fruits are usually grown in Mexico, Texas, or New Mexico. Not every grocery store carries them, so call ahead to see if they are available.  
• The best cuts of pork for this recipe are pork shoulder or pork butt. Just trim away large amounts of fat and connective tissue.
• If you want to tone down the heat, remove the seeds and veins from the jalapenos, or use only one.
• With just a little patience and understanding, you, too, can pick flavorful and mild jalapenos. Look for younger peppers that are smooth and green all over with no striations or blemishes. Stay away from peppers with white lines, flecks, and red ones, as these peppers are older and hotter. Take your time picking the peppers.
• Pulse the salsa just until desired consistency. Lift the lid and spoon the salsa around to see if you need to pulse anymore.
• If you prefer, you can simmer this recipe covered on the stovetop for about 2 hours, stirring frequently to ensure nothing burns to the bottom.

How to Serve Chile Verde

Serve it up in bowls over rice, pinto beans, or red beans. Or spoon it over a baked potato or spoon it in a tortilla with cheese. Top the stew with chopped avocado, cilantro, lime slices, sour cream, or crispy tortilla strips.

Storage and Reheat

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave at reduced power.

To freeze, first cool completely, then spoon into zipper freezer bags or a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave at reduced power.

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