Pork Chili Verde

cookiedog's Note:

Pull out the surgical gloves for this one- lots of chile chopping that leads to great flavor, and a mild heat that tingles your tongue but will burn your fingertips! I made this for my own chile verde cookoff. My DBF chose this one as the winner, and I went with Pork Chile Verde as my favorite. I mixed the two together and shared it with my colleagues who eagerly ate some for lunch and then brought home little bowls to share with their families. I'm happy they thought it was good enough to share- I hope you enjoy it too! Chile Verde always tastes better the second day! Adapted to include less chicken stock (down form 4 1/2 quarts) From the foodnetwork.

• Total Time: 4 hrs
• Prep Time: 1 hrs
• Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 16

• 6 lbs lean pork
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil or 1/4 cup lard
• 2 large yellow onions, chopped
• 6 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 8 medium poblano chiles, seeded and chopped
• 4 large jalapenos, seeded and minced
• 2 large yellow bell peppers, seeded and chopped
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 3 lbs fresh tomatillos, husks removed
• 1 bunch cilantro leaf, chopped

Directions:

1. Trim off any excess fat from the pork and cut into 2 inch squares. In a large (6 to 8 quart) stock pot, over a high heat, sear the pork in the vegetable oil until golden brown. Remove the pork from the pot and pour off any oil or fat drippings, but leave 2 tablespoons of oil. In the same pot, over a medium heat, add the chopped onion, garlic, salt, and pepper and saute until transparent. Add the cumin, pork, and chicken stock, and cook for 1/2 hour.
2. Add the poblanos, jalapenos, and bell peppers. Puree the tomatillos and cilantro in a blender. Add them to the pot and cook an additional 30 to 45 minutes. (Mine took a bit longer for the meat to get tender). Serve with white beans and rice. Garnish with grated sharp white cheddar cheese.

Reviews

[kolleen1021]

This is a delicious recipe! It is quite a lot of chopping and it takes a while to finish, but the results are worth the wait. I halved the recipe and it's still a ton of food so we'll probably quarter it next time. It really doesn't have a lot of heat to it, but that has a lot to do with the specific peppers you happen to get. If you've got some time and want a very authentic and unique Mexican meal, give this a shot. P.S. DO NOT FORGET TO WEAR GLOVES OR PLASTIC BAGGIES ON YOUR HANDS WHEN CHOPPING THE CHILIES!!!