New Mexico Chile Verde

About This Recipe

Chile Verde is the unofficial state dish of New Mexico and one of America's great regional stews — chunks of pork shoulder slow-braised in a sauce of roasted Hatch green chiles, tomatillos and garlic until the meat is fall-apart tender and infused with the earthy, fruity heat of the chiles. It is simultaneously a Mexican dish and a distinctly American one, born from the culinary fusion of Spanish colonial, Pueblo Native American and Anglo traditions in New Mexico. The Hatch green chile is the heart of this dish and the reason New Mexico food culture is so fiercely protective of its heritage. These chiles, grown in the Hatch Valley of southern New Mexico, have a unique flavor profile — fruity, earthy, moderately hot, with a slight smokiness — that no other green chile fully replicates. In August and September, Hatch chiles fill roadside stands and are roasted in commercial drum roasters whose aroma defines New Mexico autumn. Chile Verde is eaten over white rice, inside burritos, smothered over eggs for breakfast, poured over fries (New Mexico 'smothered') and ladled over green chile cheeseburgers. It is the most versatile of sauces and the most comforting of stews. Make a large batch — it freezes magnificently and improves over several days.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 2 lbspork shoulder(cut into 1-inch cubes)
• 1½ lbsHatch green chiles(or Anaheim, roasted, peeled and seeded)
• 1 lbtomatillos(husked and halved)
• 1 largewhite onion(diced)
• 6 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 2 cupschicken or pork broth
• 2 tbspvegetable oil
• 1 tspcumin
• 1 tspMexican oregano
• ½ tspcoriander
• 1 tspsalt(plus more to taste)
• white rice, warm flour tortillas(to serve)

Instructions

1. 1

   Roast tomatillos and chiles

   Roast tomatillos cut-side up under the broiler until charred and soft, about 7 minutes. Roast fresh chiles over open flame or under broiler until charred. Steam in a bag, peel and roughly chop.

2. 2

   Brown the pork

   Pat pork dry and season with salt. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Brown pork in batches, 3–4 minutes per side. Remove.

   Brown in batches — crowding the pot causes steaming rather than browning.

3. 3

   Sauté aromatics

   Reduce heat to medium. Sauté onion in the same pot 5 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, oregano and coriander. Cook 1 minute.

4. 4

   Blend and add sauce

   Blend roasted tomatillos with their juices until smooth. Add to the pot with browned pork, chopped chiles and broth. Bring to a simmer.

5. 5

   Braise

   Cover and simmer on low heat 1½–2 hours until pork is very tender and sauce has thickened. Adjust salt. If too thin, simmer uncovered 15 minutes more.

Variations

• •

  Chicken Chile Verde: use bone-in chicken thighs, reduce cooking time to 45 minutes.

• •

  Vegetarian Chile Verde: use chickpeas and/or white beans instead of pork.

• •

  Chile Verde Smothered Burrito: wrap in a flour tortilla and smother with extra sauce and cheese.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 5 days. Freezes exceptionally well up to 4 months. Reheat gently with a splash of broth.

Frequently Asked Questions