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Chile Verde Recipe

Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings 4 Servings
Author Stephanie Chavez

Ingredients

  • 18 Tomatillos
  • 3-4 jalapenos
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 pounds pork butt roast
  • 1/4 white onion chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1 cup chopped cilantro

Instructions

  1. Preheat your griddle on medium heat. Remove husk & stem and rinse the tomatillos in cold water. Slice the jalapenos in half and remove the seeds and stems. If you want the chile verde spicy, add some of the seeds.
  2. Cut two sheets of foil paper large enough to completely wrap half the tomatillos in one, then the other half in the other sheet of foil paper. Roast the tomatillos (almost completely covered) in foil paper on the griddle with the jalapenos on the side, making sure to turn them often. You will know the tomatillos are done when they are soft enough to poke easily with a fork and the juices start to seep out of the tomatillos. The jalapenos should be charred and soft as well. Rinse and chop half a bunch of cilantro as well as the jalapenos. Set them aside.
  3. For the meat, trim off any excess fat from the edges and cut the meat into 2-inch square-like chunks. Season with salt. In a large deep skillet pan, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat, brown each side until they start to crisp and turn golden brown. Remove the meat from the pan, set it aside, and lower the heat to medium-low. Immediately add the chopped onion, let it cook for about a minute, then add the garlic. Stir quickly to prevent the garlic from burning.
  4. As soon as the onion starts becoming soft and translucent, add the tomatillos and any juices with them. Carefully cut the tomatillos into smaller pieces with a knife and fork. Be careful not to press the knife all the way through and scratch your pan. You can also smash the tomatillos with a potato masher after you’ve cut them in half. Add the chopped jalapenos, smash them as well if using a potato masher.

  5. Add two cups of water, salt, garlic salt, and the browned meat to the salsa and stir everything well. Make sure all the pieces are submerged in the sauce. Simmer on medium-low, partially covered for half an hour.
  6. After half an hour, add the chopped cilantro and stir well. Cover partially again and continue simmering on medium-low another ten minutes. Serve over steamed white rice.

Recipe Notes

Meat options for this recipe are flexible. If you don’t want to use pork meat, you can also use chicken, a chuck steak or beef stew meat.

Remove the seeds and veins from the jalapenos if you don’t want it spicy.

Additional toppings that pair well with this recipe are queso fresco, avocado, fresh lime juice, and crema Mexicana.