🌶️ Authentic Chile Verde (Puerco en Salsa Verde)
Ingredients
For the pork:
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2–3 lbs pork shoulder (cut into 1½-inch chunks)
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Salt (about 1½ tsp total)
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2 tbsp lard or neutral oil
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1 cup water or light chicken stock
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2 bay leaves (optional but traditional in some regions)
For the salsa verde:
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1½ lbs tomatillos (husks removed, rinsed)
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2–3 fresh serrano peppers (or 1–2 jalapeños, adjust heat)
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2 garlic cloves
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¼–½ white onion
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Small handful fresh cilantro
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Salt to taste
🔥 Instructions
1️⃣ Brown the pork
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Season pork with salt.
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Heat lard in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high.
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Brown pork in batches until golden on most sides.
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Return all pork to pot, add 1 cup water/stock and bay leaves.
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Cover and simmer on low 45–60 minutes, until tender but not falling apart.
2️⃣ Make the salsa verde
Traditional method uses roasting for depth of flavor.
Roast method (recommended):
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Place tomatillos and chiles on a dry skillet or under broiler.
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Roast until blistered and lightly charred on all sides.
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In a blender, combine roasted tomatillos, chiles, garlic, onion, cilantro, and 1 tsp salt.
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Blend until smooth (add a splash of water only if needed).
3️⃣ Combine & simmer
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Pour salsa into the pot with pork.
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Simmer uncovered 15–25 minutes until sauce thickens and pork is very tender.
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Adjust salt to taste.
The sauce should be bright, slightly tangy, and lightly thick — not watery.
🌮 How It’s Served Traditionally
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With warm corn tortillas
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Mexican rice and refried beans
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Or spooned over rice
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Topped with diced onion, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime
🔥 Authentic Tips
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Lard gives the most traditional flavor.
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Don’t overcook the tomatillos — too much heat can make the sauce bitter.
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Some regional versions add epazote for an herbal note.
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For deeper flavor, simmer the blended salsa in a little oil for 5 minutes before adding to pork.
If you’d like, I can also give you:
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A slow cooker version
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A New Mexico Hatch-style green chile version
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Or a restaurant-style thicker version