I found this pork chile verde when I was a kid and loved it. Mexican food for me at that time, still living in my parental home was a unknown cuisine. Over the years I tailored it to my adult lifestyle in ease of preparation and taste buds. This recipe is perfect for a crock pot or mindless roasting in the oven. Serves 8.
3 lbs. pork shoulder, fat trimmed and cut to 1.5-inch cubes
3 Tbl. olive oil
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 garlic clove, pressed to a pulp
1/2 tea. sugar
1/4 tea. ground cloves
1 good quality cinnamon stick (not Ceylon)
2 tea. ground cumin
2 15oz. cans chopped tomatoes
1 7oz. can green chilies
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup chicken broth
Heat olive oil in a heavy pan to medium heat, place cubed pork in a single layer and allow to brown without turning 2-4 minutes, do not crowd. You may need to do this in two batches. Remove pork to your crock pot or deep baking dish.
In same pan drippings, sauté bell pepper and garlic until slightly softened. Add sugar cloves cinnamon stick and cumin to bell pepper mix and stir until bloomed and fragrant, approx. 1 minute. Add to browned pork resting in crock pot/baking dish.
To same browning pan, add remaining ingredients: chopped tomatoes, green chilies, fresh cilantro and chicken broth until warmed through and loosen flavorful brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Pour into crock pot/backing dish.
Place lid on crock pot and cook on high for two hours or bake covered with foil in a 325-degree oven for 2 hours.
- Per Serving:
- Calories: 442.13 kcal
- Total Fat: 30.84 g
- Cholesterol: 102 mg
- Sodium: 331.13 mg
- Carbohydrates: 4.80 g
- Dietary Fiber: 1.5 g
- Sugars: 2.9 g
- Protein: 37.14 g
Serve with Spanish rice <click link> or white rice and may topped with the following:
fresh avocado
dollop of sour cream
fresh squeezed lime juice
fresh cilantro leaves
sliced fresh radishes
queso cotija (salty dry Mexican cheese)
Salt to your personal taste