Pork Chili Verde Asada or Carne de Cerdo en Salsa Verde

Pork Chili Verde with extra lime wedges, minced cilantro, white onion, and diced avocado. I topped this with Oaxaca cheese (Monterey Jack) and fresh crema Mexican (a tangy, saltier version of sour cream). New hot tortilla chips and a cold beer would be fantastic additions too.

This image is a bone-in pork shoulder found in most local grocery stores. Just cut along the length of the pork shoulder to remove the meat. Reserve the bone for cooking with the diced meat in chicken stock to add more flavor. However, if you don’t have access to bone-in pork shoulder, the boneless variety works excellently too.

With a sharp knife, cut along the length of the bone to get to the meat. Technically you don’t have to cut the meat off the bone if you wish to cook at a shallow temperature, but I like having time to do other things with my day. Breaking down the meat will dramatically increase the stewing efficiency. The braising will take just over two hours rather than all day. 

With the meat removed from the bone, make large slices.

From those large slices, cut the pork into long strips.

From the strips, cut the pork into large cubes.

In a large mixing bowl, add the southwest seasoning mix.

Toss the cubed pork and the shoulder bone (if applicable) with the seasoning and coat well.

I’m fortunate to have access to farm-fresh lard, which is much healthier than the store-bought variety. (As mentioned in other posts, fat gets a bad rap, and many urban legends are invalid.) You can use olive, vegetable, or any other healthy oil you wish. 

Do not crowd the pot/pan with too much meat at one time. I cooked the pork for this recipe in three separate batches. First, sear the flesh and bone over medium-high heat in a heavy bottom pot until the underside is nice and brown.

Turn the meat to brown on the other side.

Mince three garlic cloves and dice the onion, jalapeno (or serrano chili), and red bell pepper

The brown bits on the bottom are known by the culinary term “fond” (or foundation). As with many dishes, this is a critical flavor-developing asset you don’t want to throw out! Add all of the cooked pork back into the pan along with the bone (optional) and stir to get the browned bits unlocked to dissolve back into the dish. NOTE: only a tiny amount of oil is left in the pan. If you have excess fat, drain it off and discard it.

With all of the pork added back into the pot/pan with the stock, add the garlic, onion, jalapeno, and red bell pepper. Stir the bottom of the pan to release the fond into the broth.

Bring to a low boil, reduce the temperature to medium-low, and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Cook for approximately 2 hours or until the pork is tender enough to cut with a fork.

While the pork cooks, chop 1/3 of the fresh cilantro with stems. They add great flavor.

Pork chili Verde after 2 hours of slow cooking. Add 3/4 cup chili Verde Asada sauce (a separate thing altogether. See recipe in this blog) and stir to incorporate.

Stir in fire-roasted Hatch chilies. These are the milder Sandia chili variety, but they still pack a punch. The Sandia is perfect for taking you to the edge of really hot, but then stop so you can enjoy the dish’s flavors without burning your mouth. I think they are delicious, but this is a personal call on how much capsicum chili oil you can take. When I serve a bowl of pork chili Verde, I always offer cheese, sour cream, and avocado. These foods have natural milk and vegetable fats, which will tone down the heat if it’s too much.

Finally, add in fresh chopped cilantro and stir in the chilies. 

After 2 hours, remove the pork bone, which has now done all it can to help with the dish’s flavor.

A delicious meal on any day. A super satisfying meal if you happen to be on the Keto diet. This dish has a big payoff with relatively uncomplicated production. I will give a recipe for Chili Verde Asada Sauce (a separate thing) on the blog. If you don’t have time to make your own, there are pre-made options at most grocery stores, but keep in mind that nothing in the stores will have the same freshly made salsa you can do yourself.