Chile Verde con Cerdo (Green Chili with Pork)

Ingredients

• 3.75 lb boneless pork butt roast (trimmed and cut into 1.5-inch pieces, trimmings reserved)
• 4 tsp kosher salt (divided)
• 1 cup water
• 1.5 lb tomatillos (husks and stems removed, rinsed well and dried)
• 5 poblano chiles (stemmed, halved, and seeded)
• 1 large onion (cut into 8 wedges through root end)
• 5 garlic cloves (unpeeled)
• 1 jalapeño chile (stemmed and halved)
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 0.125 tsp ground cinnamon
• ground cloves (Pinch)
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp pepper
• 0.5 cup fresh cilantro (minced, plus extra for serving)
• lime wedge (for serving)

Steps

1. 1

   Toss the pork pieces with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour to allow the salt to penetrate the meat.

2. 2

   While the pork is salting, chop the reserved pork trimmings coarsely. Transfer the trimmings to a Dutch oven and add 1 cup of water.

3. 3

   Bring the water to a simmer over high heat. Cook, adjusting the heat to maintain a vigorous simmer and stirring occasionally, until all the liquid evaporates and the trimmings begin to sizzle, about 12 minutes.

4. 4

   Continue to cook the trimmings, stirring frequently, until a dark fond forms on the bottom of the pot and the trimmings have browned and crisped, about 6 minutes longer. Using a slotted spoon, discard the trimmings. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the rendered fat and set the pot aside.

5. 5

   Adjust one oven rack to the lower-middle position and a second rack 6 inches from the broiler element. Heat the broiler.

6. 6

   Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the tomatillos, poblanos, onion, garlic, and jalapeño on the prepared sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Arrange the chiles skin side up.

7. 7

   Broil the vegetables until the chile skins are blackened and the vegetables begin to soften, 10 to 13 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through broiling. Transfer the poblanos, jalapeño, and garlic to a cutting board.

8. 8

   Turn off the broiler and heat the oven to 325°F (163°C).

9. 9

   Transfer the tomatillos, onion, and any accumulated juices from the baking sheet to a food processor.

10. 10

    When the poblanos, jalapeño, and garlic are cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skins (it's OK if some small bits of chile skin remain). Remove the seeds from the jalapeño and reserve them separately. Add the poblanos, jalapeño, and garlic to the food processor.

11. 11

    Pulse the vegetables until the mixture is roughly pureed, about 10 pulses, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. If a spicier chili is desired, add the reserved jalapeño seeds and pulse 3 additional times.

12. 12

    Heat the reserved 2 tablespoons of pork fat in the Dutch oven over medium heat until just shimmering. Add the oregano, cumin, cinnamon, and cloves and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

13. 13

    Stir in the tomatillo mixture, bay leaves, sugar, pepper, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, scraping up any browned bits (fond) from the bottom of the pot.

14. 14

    Stir in the salted pork pieces and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cover the pot, transfer it to the oven, and cook until the pork is tender, about 1.5 hours, stirring halfway through the cooking time.

15. 15

    Remove the pot from the oven and let it sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaves.

16. 16

    Using a heatproof rubber spatula, scrape any browned bits from the sides of the pot. Stir in any fat that has risen to the top of the chili.

17. 17

    Stir in the minced cilantro. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve, passing lime wedges and extra cilantro separately.

Notes

Browning the pork trimmings instead of the chunks builds a savory fond without drying out the meat. Omitting broth ensures the salsa reduces to a tight, flavorful sauce. Salting the pork for an hour beforehand ensures it stays juicy and well-seasoned.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• stew
• pork
• Mexican
• slow-cooked
• dinner
• spicy