Chile Verde

We went to a ward Halloween party last week where everyone brought chili (with fritos to accompany it). I made some chile verde, just to be different. It was a big hit. While making it, I kept remembering that Pa always got chile verde at El Matador. I never had it there, but I bet this homemade version beats it.

I bought the pork (bostón de cerdo) and produce at my new favorite carnicería, Super Mercado Jalisco. I also bought whole cloves there, which I ground using my mortar and pestle.The hardest part of the work was cutting up the pork and trimming the fat. It took a lot of patience, but it was worth it.

Here's the recipe, courtesy of simplerecipes.com:

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds tomatillos
• 5 garlic cloves, not peeled
• 2 jalapeño peppers
• 2 Anaheim or Poblano chiles (optional)
• 1 bunch cilantro leaves, cleaned and chopped
• 3 1/2 to 4 pounds pork shoulder (also called pork butt), trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1 to 2-inch cubes
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil
• 2 yellow onions
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp of chopped fresh oregano or 1 Tbsp of dried oregano
• 4 cups chicken stock
• Pinch of ground cloves

Directions

Husk and rinse the tomatillos. Roast the tomatillos, jalapeños, Anaheim or poblano chiles, and garlic until the skins are lightly blackened. (I roasted them on my grill, but you can also roast them under a broiler.) Let cool enough to handle. Remove the stems, seeds, and veins from the peppers.

Blend the tomatillos, garlic, jalapeños, other chiles, and cilantro. Pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed.

Season the pork cubes generously with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium high heat and brown pork chunks well on all sides. Work in batches so that the pork is not crowded in the pan and has a better chance to brown well. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, lift pork out of pan and place in bowl, set aside.

Pour off excess fat, anything beyond a tablespoon, and place the onions and garlic in the same skillet and cook, stirring occasionally until limp, about 5 minutes. Add the pork back to the pan. Add the oregano to the pan. Add the tomatillo chile verde sauce to the pork and onions. Add the chicken stock (enough to cover the meat). Add a pinch of ground cloves.

Bring to a boil and reduce to a slight simmer. Cook for 2-3 hours uncovered or until the pork is fork tender.

Serves 8