Chili Verde with Pork Shoulder

Name: Chili Verde with Pork Shoulder
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 3 h 5 min
Total time: 3 h 45 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 3½ lb (1600 g) boneless pork shoulder (pork butt), trimmed of thick fat caps and cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) cubes; 2 tsp (12 g) fine sea salt; 1 tsp (2 g) black pepper, freshly ground; 2 tsp (4 g) ground cumin; 2 tsp (2 g) dried oregano (Mexican if available); 3 tbsp (45 ml) neutral oil such as avocado or vegetable oil; 1½ lb (680 g) tomatillos, husked, rinsed, patted dry, and halved; 3 whole (about 12 oz) (340 g) large poblano peppers, left whole; 3 whole (85 g) jalapeños, stems removed and halved lengthwise (seeded for milder heat); 1 large (about 9 oz) (250 g) large yellow onion, peeled and cut into 8 wedges; 6 cloves (25 g) garlic cloves, peeled; 1 cup, packed (leaves and tender stems) (40 g) fresh cilantro, roughly chopped; 1½ cups (360 ml) low-sodium chicken broth; 1 tsp (4 g) granulated sugar (optional); 2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh lime juice, from about 1 lime; fine sea salt, to taste, added at the end; ¼ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro, chopped; 2 whole (200 g) limes, cut into wedges (optional); ½ cup (120 g) sour cream or Mexican crema (optional); 8 whole (200 g) corn tortillas, warmed (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Tender cubes of pork shoulder braise in a bright, smoky green sauce of broiled tomatillos, poblanos, and jalapeños, finished with cilantro and lime. It's a hands-off oven braise that gives you a rich, spoonable chili with a tangy finish.

Prep: 40 min
Cook: 3 hr 5 min
Wait: 50 min
Total: 4 hr 35 min
Makes: About 10 cups (8 generous servings)

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Ingredients

8 servings

For the pork
3½ lb (1600 g) boneless pork shoulder (pork butt), trimmed of thick fat caps and cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) cubes
2 tsp (12 g) fine sea salt
1 tsp (2 g) black pepper, freshly ground
2 tsp (4 g) ground cumin
2 tsp (2 g) dried oregano (Mexican if available)
3 tbsp (45 ml) neutral oil such as avocado or vegetable oil
For the green sauce
1½ lb (680 g) tomatillos, husked, rinsed, patted dry, and halved
3 whole (about 12 oz) (340 g) large poblano peppers, left whole
3 whole (85 g) jalapeños, stems removed and halved lengthwise (seeded for milder heat)
1 large (about 9 oz) (250 g) large yellow onion, peeled and cut into 8 wedges
6 cloves (25 g) garlic cloves, peeled
1 cup, packed (leaves and tender stems) (40 g) fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
1½ cups (360 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp (4 g) granulated sugar (optional)
To finish and serve
2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh lime juice, from about 1 lime
fine sea salt, to taste, added at the end
¼ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro, chopped
2 whole (200 g) limes, cut into wedges (optional)
½ cup (120 g) sour cream or Mexican crema (optional)
8 whole (200 g) corn tortillas, warmed (optional)

Equipment (6)

6-quart (5.7 L) Dutch oven or heavy ovenproof pot with a lid
Rimmed baking sheet, 18×13-inch (46×33 cm), lined with foil
Blender (or immersion blender and a deep pot)
Large bowl with a plate or plastic wrap to cover, for steaming poblanos
Tongs and a slotted spoon
Large spoon or ladle for skimming fat

Steps

Before you start

Pork needs to sit with salt for 30 minutes before searing, so start with step 1.
Set an oven rack in the upper third (about 4–6 inches / 10–15 cm from the broiler) for the vegetables, then reset to the middle rack for the braise.
Husk the tomatillos and rinse them under warm water to remove the sticky film, then pat dry.
Total time is about 4½ hours, but most of it is hands-off oven time.
For a milder chili, remove the jalapeño seeds and white ribs. For a hotter chili, leave them in.

1
Season the pork
- Trim any thick, hard fat from the pork shoulder, but leave thin streaks of fat for flavor.
- Cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) cubes.
- Pat the cubes very dry with paper towels.
- In a large bowl, toss the pork with the salt, black pepper, cumin, and oregano until evenly coated.
- Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes while you prep the vegetables.
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Ready when: Pork looks evenly coated in spices and the surface feels dry, not wet
Tip: Dry meat browns; wet meat steams. Pat the cubes dry again if they look damp before searing.
2
Broil the vegetablesOven 500°F / 260°C
- Position an oven rack 4–6 inches (10–15 cm) below the broiler and heat the broiler to high (about 500°F / 260°C).
- Spread the tomatillos (cut side down), whole poblanos, jalapeños, and onion wedges on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.
- Broil for 6–8 minutes, until the tops are blistered and charred in spots.
- Use tongs to flip everything and broil another 5–7 minutes, until the poblano skins are blackened and blistered and the tomatillos are soft and slumped.
- Keep an eye on them since broilers vary.
- Remove the pan from the oven and switch the oven from broil to bake at 325°F (160°C), moving the rack to the middle position.
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Ready when: Poblano skins are blackened and blistered, tomatillos are soft and juicy with charred patches, onion edges are browned
Tip: Do not walk away from the broiler. Charred spots are good, but fully burnt black tomatillos or onions will make the sauce bitter.
3
Steam and peel poblanos
- Transfer the hot poblanos to a large bowl and cover tightly with a plate or plastic wrap.
- Let them steam for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, set the tomatillos, jalapeños, onion, and any juices from the baking sheet aside.
- When the poblanos are cool enough to handle, slip off and discard the blistered skins (a few small bits of skin are fine).
- Pull off the stems and scrape out the seeds.
- Roughly chop the peeled poblanos.
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Ready when: Skins slide off easily and the flesh is soft and silky
Tip: Do not rinse the peppers under water; it washes away smoky flavor.
4
Blend the green sauce
- In a blender, combine the chopped poblanos, the broiled tomatillos with all their juices, jalapeños, onion wedges, garlic, packed cilantro, 1 cup (240 ml) of the chicken broth, and the sugar if using.
- Blend on high for 45–60 seconds until mostly smooth with a few small flecks remaining.
- Work in two batches if your blender is small, and hold the lid down with a towel because hot contents expand.
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Ready when: Sauce is pourable, bright green-olive in color, and mostly smooth
Tip: Taste the sauce. If it is very sharp and tart, add the optional sugar. Tomatillo tartness varies a lot.
5
Sear the pork
- Heat 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
- Add one-third of the pork in a single layer with space between cubes.
- Sear without moving for 3 minutes, then turn and sear the other sides for 4–5 minutes in total, until deep golden-brown on at least two sides.
- Transfer to a clean bowl.
- Repeat with the remaining oil and pork in two more batches.
- After the last batch, pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of fat.
- Pour the remaining ½ cup (120 ml) broth into the hot pot and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon.
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Ready when: Pork is deeply golden-brown on the outside (it does not need to be cooked through) and the pot bottom is clean after deglazing
Tip: Crowding the pot drops the temperature and the meat will gray and steam. Use three batches.
6
Combine and bring to a simmer
- Return all the seared pork and any juices from the bowl to the Dutch oven.
- Pour in the blended green sauce and stir well.
- The pork should be mostly submerged.
- Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
- Cover with the lid.
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Ready when: Small bubbles break steadily around the edge of the pot
Tip: Make sure the oven is already at 325°F (160°C) before you move the pot in.
7
Braise in the ovenOven 325°F / 165°C
- Place the covered Dutch oven on the middle rack of the oven at 325°F (160°C).
- Braise for 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
- The chili is ready when a cube of pork can be crushed easily against the side of the pot with a spoon and the center reaches about 195°F (90°C).
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Ready when: Pork yields to a spoon with almost no resistance and the sauce has darkened to an olive-green
Tip: If the pork still feels firm, return it to the oven for 20-minute increments. Undercooked shoulder is tough, not safe-or-unsafe, so just give it time.
8
Skim and thicken
- Carefully remove the pot from the oven (the handles are hot).
- Tilt the pot and use a large spoon to skim the orange-green layer of fat from the surface and discard.
- Place the pot over medium heat, uncover, and simmer for 15–20 minutes, stirring often and gently breaking up some of the pork pieces, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
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Ready when: A spoon dragged across the bottom of the pot leaves a trail that fills in slowly
Tip: If it gets too thick, stir in a splash of water or broth.
9
Finish with lime and salt
- Turn off the heat.
- Stir in the lime juice.
- Taste and add salt, a pinch at a time, until the flavors are bright and balanced.
- It usually needs ½–1 teaspoon.
- Stir in about half of the chopped cilantro.
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Ready when: Chili tastes tangy, savory, and lightly smoky with no flat or dull edge
Tip: Add lime juice off the heat so its fresh flavor does not cook away.
10
Rest and serve
- Let the chili rest, covered, for 10 minutes so the flavors settle and it thickens slightly.
- Ladle into bowls and top with the remaining cilantro, a dollop of sour cream, and lime wedges.
- Serve with warm corn tortillas on the side.
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Ready when: Chili is hot, thick, and glossy

Good to know

Tips

Pork shoulder (also sold as pork butt) has the fat and connective tissue needed for a silky, tender braise. Lean cuts like loin dry out.
Keep the pork cubes large (1½ inches / 4 cm). They shrink as they cook, and smaller pieces turn stringy.
Skim the fat before thickening the sauce for a cleaner, brighter chili.
For a thicker, stew-like chili, simmer uncovered a few minutes longer. For a looser, soupier chili, add ½ cup (120 ml) broth.

Make ahead

Chili verde tastes even better the next day. Cook through step 9, cool, and refrigerate in an airtight container up to 4 days. Reheat gently and add the lime juice and fresh cilantro just before serving. The sauce can also be blended up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Refrigerator: up to 4 days in an airtight container. Freezer: up to 3 months in freezer-safe containers with ½ inch (1 cm) of headspace; thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat in a pot over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until steaming hot (165°F / 74°C), adding a splash of broth or water if it has thickened. Refresh with a squeeze of lime.

Substitutions

boneless pork shoulder (pork butt) → bone-in pork shoulder (about 4½ lb / 2 kg). Remove the bone and trim after cooking. Add 15–30 minutes to the braise and cut the meat from the bone before shredding.
large poblano peppers → 6 roasted Anaheim or Hatch green chiles, or two 4-oz (113 g) cans of roasted diced green chiles. Anaheim peppers are milder. Canned chiles can be added directly to the blender with no peeling.
low-sodium chicken broth → water or low-sodium vegetable broth. Water gives a slightly lighter flavor, so you may need a little more salt at the end.
tomatillos → canned whole tomatillos, drained (two 28-oz / 794 g cans). Skip the broiling for them, though broil the other vegetables. Canned ones are softer and tangier, so skip the sugar.