Mexican Pork Chili (Chile Verde)

This Mexican pork chili (chile verde) is cooked with the low and slow method in the oven, adding a real depth of flavor and the pork comes out fall-apart tender.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 4 hr
• Total Time: 4 hr 30 mins
• Calories: 221 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons lard
• 2 teaspoons garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
• 3 serrano peppers
• 1 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
• 3 pounds pork shoulder, or more to taste, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• 0.5 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 0.5 cup red wine
• 0.33333334326744 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1.5 pounds fresh tomatillos, or more to taste, husks removed

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 2

Combine tomatillos, serrano peppers, and garlic in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Transfer to a baking sheet.

Step 3

Place in the preheated oven and roast until tender, about 30 minutes. Remove vegetables from oven, cool slightly, and transfer to the bowl of a food processor. Puree until smooth. Reduce oven temperature to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).

Step 4

While vegetables are roasting, heat lard in a Dutch oven or heavy oven-safe pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with garlic salt and pepper and add to the pot in batches. Cook each batch until browned, about 7 minutes, removing to a plate with a slotted spoon. Drain and discard all but 2 tablespoons pan drippings.

Step 5

Add onion and bell pepper to the pot. Saute, stirring occasionally, until onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour wine into the pan and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in browned pork, tomatillo puree, chicken stock, cilantro, oregano, cumin, and salt.

Step 6

Cover and cook in the oven until pork is tender, 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Allow to stand for 15 minutes, covered, before serving.