Pork Chile Verde

Tender chunks of pork simmered in a rich yet tangy tomatillo broth, a generous topping of luxurious sour cream and melty monterey jack cheese, a fresh pop of cilantro, and bright acidic squeeze of fresh lime juice.

That's pork chile verde. And it's what dreams are made of.

Chile verde is one of those awesome one-pot meals.

It doesn't leave many dirty dishes, and can feed a crowd with minimal effort.

The basic steps are:

1. Cut a giant pork shoulder up into roughly 1 inch cubes
2. Brown in a dutch oven
3. Saute onions and chiles
4. Add pureed tomatillos, oregano, cumin, cilantro, and chicken broth
5. Simmer everything for about an hour, or until the pork is tender
6. Top with crema, cheese, fresh lime juice, and cilantro
7. Serve with warm tortillas

To make my chile verde more of a balanced meal, I like to stir in some pre-cooked lima beans (also known as butter beans) right at the end of the cook time. They thicken the chile, add a rich creamy texture to each bite, and contain soluble fiber that is great for lowering cholesterol & keeping your gut running smoothly.

I also like to get down on some chips & guac while the verde simmers away 😉

But seriously, meals like this are perfect for the start of football season (which is NOW, if you're like our household & celebrate even preseason games).

You can put on a pot in the early afternoon, enjoy some appetizers & beer, and have everyone serve themselves when they're ready. Easy peasy. You don't have to worry about over cooking anything, the pork will just continue to get more tender as it braises.

Recipe

Pork and Lima Bean Chile Verde

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Prep25 minutes mins

Cook1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Total1 hour hr 50 minutes mins

Servings: 6

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Ingredients 

• 4 lb bone-in pork butt/shoulder, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt & ground black pepper, for seasoning
• 1 large onion, roughly diced
• 2 jalapenos, seeds and ribs discarded, the rest minced
• 1 26 oz can pureed or crushed tomatillos (or, if you can’t find them, buy ~2 lbs fresh tomatillos, husk them, boil for a few minutes in a pot of water until they turn dark green and become tender, then puree)
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped, divided in half for two uses
• 1 14.5 oz can chicken broth
• 2 15 oz cans butter beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, for topping
• Sour cream, for topping
• 3 limes, cut in half, for topping
• 1 package fresh whole wheat tortillas (or gluten free or corn tortillas)

Instructions

• Liberally season the cubed pork with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large dutch oven over high heat until shimmering. Add the pork and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until well browned on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• In the same pot, reduce the heat to medium, add the onion and jalapeno. Saute for 5 minutes until the onions are just starting to get soft but not yet browning. Add the tomatillo puree, oregano, cumin, half of the cilantro, and the chicken broth. Stir to combine. Add the pork back to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 60 minutes.
• After about 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• When there is about 15 minutes left for the soup to simmer, wrap the stack of tortillas in foil and place in the oven to warm.
• After the soup has simmered for 60 minutes, add the beans and simmer for 5 more minutes until heated through. Remove from the heat & serve in deep bowls, sprinkled with cilantro, monterey jack cheese, sour cream, and fresh lime juice. Serve with warm tortillas. (I like to rip up the tortillas and stir them into the stew.) Enjoy!

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