Authentic New Mexican Pork Chili Verde

Pork Chili Verde is regional comfort food at its best: A garlicky, moderately spicy pork stew cooked low-and-slow in a rich chicken broth infused with roasted green chiles, lightly charred tomatillos and a good wallop of toasted cumin.

This rich "bowl of green" showcases its Mexican roots in that it uses pork, rather than beef. And, tomatoes are never part of its culinary repertoire.  A nice change from a Texas "bowl of red", this carnivores' dream (no beans allowed) is a stellar dish to serve men on game night.
From a chef's point of view, this chili has pitch-perfect flavor pairings—the acidity of the tomatillos and hint of smoky verdant bitterness from the roasted green chiles cuts the richness of the pork, all of which is heightened by the chiles' heat. While most recipes call for puréeing raw tomatillos and adding them to the pork, this dish creates a richer depth of flavor by first roasting the chiles and tomatillos. But the real secret to its success is layering its flavors— toasted cumin seed, ground cumin, spices and chiles are added at different stages during its cooking process which produces a greater depth of flavor and complexity in the finished dish. Although labor-intensive, these extra steps are the benchmark between merely a good and great chili—this dish can’t be rushed and is well worth the extra effort!
But New Mexican Pork Chili Verde is not a one trick pony—it makes a great filling for burritos and tacos (a regional favorite served in diners in New Mexico and San Francisco), or works as a quick, hearty second meal reheated and ladled over white rice.

 

 

Authentic New Mexican Pork Chili Verde

Makes: 4 large servings
Ingredients
2 pounds pork butt (aka pork shoulder), trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1-2-inch cubes
1 cup all-purpose (AP) flour
1 Tbsp. kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. pork fat trimmings
1 large yellow onion, chopped into ½-inch dice (about 1 cup)
4 cups rich, homemade chicken broth
Spice Mix:2 Tbsp. canola oil
2 Tbsp. cumin seed
1 Tbsp. granulated garlic
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 cup roasted Salsa Verde (see recipe below)
30 minutes before serving:½ bottle (about 2 ½ ounces) of jalapeño sauce
1 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 roasted, seeded and roughly chopped jalapenos (about 1 Tbs.)

Roasted Green Chili Sauce

Makes: 5 cups
2 Poblano chiles
6 large tomatillos3 jalapeño chiles
2 serrano chiles
4 cups water
1 ½ Tbsp. sea salt
8-10 (2 ¼ oz.) garlic cloves, peeled and lightly smashed
2 large bunches organic cilantro