Chile Verde with Pork and Mushrooms
This comforting homestyle stew is made by simmering pork and mushrooms in a tangy salsa verde until the pork is fall-apart tender and the mushrooms are meaty and plump. The salsa verde can be scratch made per the recipe below, or, for a faster version, sub in premade (just use 28 oz of jarred or canned salsa verde and start on step 4). Serve over rice, with tortillas, on nachos, or, really, however you like.
Ingredients
Salsa Verde
- 8 oz (about 5 medium) tomatillos husked and cut in half
- 8 oz (about 1 medium) zucchini or summer squash cut into large chunks, or substitute with more tomatillos
- 1 small white or yellow onion peeled and cut into quarters
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3 jalapeños stem removed and cut in half lengthwise (seeds removed if desired)
- ½ cup cilantro leaves and tender stems
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- 1 lime
Chile
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 2½ lb pork shoulder cut into 1-inch chunks
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms cut in half
For Serving (as desired)
- Rice or Mexican rice
- Pinto or refried beans
- Corn or flour tortillas
- Fajita veggies
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Add tomatillos, summer squash, onion, garlic, and jalapeños.
- Boil vegetables for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tomatillos are starting to split and vegetables are very soft.
- Transfer to a blender along with cilantro, salt, and zest plus juice of lime. Blend until smooth.
- Preheat oven to 350º. Heat canola in a Dutch oven or large skillet (with lid) over medium heat.
- Season pork generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Working in batches as needed, add pork to skillet and sear on top and bottom, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove to a plate with a slotted spoon.
- Add mushrooms to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until shrunken and starting to brown, about 7-10 minutes.
- Add salsa verde and pork to the pot, mix to combine. Transfer to oven and braise for about 2-2½ hours, stirring after 1 hour and then every 30 minutes after that. When pork is done it should fork tender.
- Serve chile verde with rice, beans, and tortillas, as desired.