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Chile Verde

Chile verde is a Mexican pork stew with a rich green chile sauce made from blended tomatillos and poblano peppers. Sear-tender pork is slow-simmered until shredded, creating a comforting, stew-like texture with visible green chile bits.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
rest time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pork shoulder
  • 2 lb pork shoulder cubed
Tomatillos
  • 2 lb tomatillos husked
Poblano peppers
  • 4 poblano peppers roasted and diced
Onion
  • 1 onion halved
Garlic
  • 6 garlic cloves
Fresh cilantro
  • 0.5 cup fresh cilantro
Chicken broth
  • 2 cup chicken broth
Ground cumin
  • 1 tsp cumin
Dried oregano
  • 0.5 tsp oregano
Vegetable oil
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
  • 1 salt to taste
  • 1 pepper to taste
Corn tortillas
  • 1 corn tortillas for serving for serving

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Blend the green sauce
  1. Blend tomatillos, poblano peppers, onion, garlic, and cilantro until smooth, leaving a few small bits for visible green chile texture.
  2. Set the blended mixture aside while you prep the pork and pot.
Sear and simmer
  1. Heat vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until shimmering, then add pork cubes and sear on all sides.
  2. Pour the blended tomatillo mixture over the seared pork and stir to coat.
  3. Add chicken broth, cumin, and oregano, then bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat.
  4. Cover and cook at a gentle simmer for 35-40 minutes, until pork is very tender and the sauce thickens slightly.
Shred and finish
  1. Shred the meat directly in the pot and stir well so the pork absorbs the green chile sauce.
  2. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir until evenly distributed.
  3. Rest the chile verde for 10 minutes covered so flavors settle and the sauce clings to the pork.
  4. Serve hot with warm corn tortillas for serving.

Notes

Pro tip: roast and dice the poblanos before blending to deepen the green chile flavor. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days; reheat gently until steaming. Freezing is yes—freeze up to 3 months, then thaw and rewarm. For a dairy-free option, skip any cheese and rely on cilantro and tortillas; this recipe is naturally dairy-free as written.