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Milder Pork Chili Verde

This is mild to our taste, You can increase the heat by adding additional hot peppers to taste within the last 30 minutes to hour or so of cooking. You can use boneless shoulder about 3-4 lbs and keep the sauce quantities the same.

Chili Note: The heat of chilis varies widely even within the same variety. The only way to know is to taste it. Just taste the dish you're preparing along the way to check the heat level. If you want to increase heat, add it close to the end of cooking or as a garnish. I've heard conflicting opinions, but in my own experience the heat seems to dissipate with long cooking. So when you add chilis at the beginning of a long cooked dish, it will be less potent when it is served.

What you need

  1. 7-8 lb. pork shoulder, picnic cut
  2. 2 lbs. tomatillos
  3. 2 large onions
  4. 8 cloves garlic
  5. 1 cinnamon stick
  6. 1 cup lima, butter or black beans
  7. 1 cup beer
  8. 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  9. 1 1/2 - 2 tbl ground cumin
  10. Several sprigs fresh oregano or 1 tbl dried oregano
  11. 3 anaheim chilis (see chili note above)
  12. 1/4 cup minced jalapeno (see chili note above)
  13. Olive Oil
  14. Salt & Pepper
  15. zest of 1 orange
  16. 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

How to make it

  1. Carefully remove the tough skin from the pork and discard. Salt & Pepper the roast.
  2. Remove tomatillos from husk and wash. Depending on the size, cut into quarters or eighths (about 1 inch pieces).
  3. Peel and dice onions and mince the garlic.
  4. In a heavy dutch-oven, brown pork on all sides in olive oil.
  5. Add the tomatillos, onions and garlic with some salt.
  6. Sauté until softened
  7. Add beer, broth, beans, cumin, cinnamon and oregano
  8. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cover. Cook for about 2-3 hours, turning pork each hour
  9. Pork should be starting to fall apart. Remove stem, seeds and membranes from anaheim chilis and slice into strips about 1/4 - 1/2 inch wide
  10. Add to pot and cook an additional hour
  11. Remove pork to a platter to cool
  12. Increase heat to a low boil and continue cooking the sauce allowing it to reduce and become slightly thickened.
  13. When meat is cooled enough to handle, remove from the bones discarding any fat or sinew and shred meat. Return meat to sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings.
  14. Add jalapeno and cook until softened, 15-30 minutes.
  15. Add orange zest and cilantro and turn off heat.
  16. Let stand until ready to serve.

This has a stew-like consistency and can be served with saffron rice and/or tortillas.

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