Pork Chile Verde

Guisado, or stew, is a staple food on ranches in Chihuahua, Mexico, particularly among my family. In the early 1900s, my great-grandmother would make this pork chile verde recipe on special occasions, like my grandfather’s birthday.

• 8 tomatillos

• 4 poblano peppers

• 1.5 cups roasted green hatch chile peppers

• 1 bunch of cilantro

• 1 white onion

• 6 garlic cloves

• 1 quart of chicken stock

• 1/2 tablespoon of cumin

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 2 pounds of small cut pork

• Half cup cooking oil

• Tortillas

1. Start by peeling the husk from the tomatillos and removing the seeds from the poblano peppers.

2. Char the tomatillos and peppers, then place them in a blender along with the hatch chiles, garlic cloves, chicken stock, cumin, half a white onion, and half a cilantro bunch.

3. Blend until smooth and combined.

4. Dice and combine the rest of the onion and cilantro for the garnish.

5. Heat a skillet until it begins to smoke lightly, then add the oil and the diced pork.

6. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the moisture draws out of the meat–a rough 10 to 15 minutes, depending on heat.

7. Once the moisture has been cooked away, add the chile verde purée to the skillet.

8. As soon as the purée starts to boil, bring it back to a simmer.

9. Cover the skillet and cook over low heat for 20 to 25 minutes.

10. Serve with tortillas toasted on the comal and garnish.