Tray Of Chili Verde Recipe
Make Tray Of Chili Verde Recipe in just 4h . Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
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Chili Verde
Finishing & Garnish
Method
Chili Verde
- 1
Preheat and roast the tomatillos and peppers
Preheat the oven broiler (or a hot grill) and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place the husked tomatillos, poblanos/Anaheims, and serranos in a single layer. Broil 8–12 minutes, turning every 3–4 minutes, until the tomatillos are blistered and peppers have good char marks and skins have softened. Remove peppers and place in a bowl; cover with plastic wrap or a lid to steam for 10 minutes (this loosens skins). Leave tomatillos uncovered to cool slightly.
- 2
Peel and seed peppers; roast two cloves of garlic
When peppers are cool enough to handle, peel off most of the charred skin (it’s fine to leave some for flavor), remove stems and seeds (remove seeds for less heat, keep for more). Remove two small cloves of garlic from the head and place them on the baking sheet under the broiler for 3–5 minutes until lightly charred; set aside. (Reserve the remaining garlic cloves for sautéing below.)
- 3
Make the salsa verde
In a blender or food processor combine the roasted tomatillos, peeled peppers, the charred garlic cloves, 3/4 of the cilantro (reserve some for garnish), 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano, 1 tsp kosher salt (adjust later), and 1 cup of the chicken stock. Purée until mostly smooth. If the mixture is very thick, add up to 1/2 cup more stock. Taste and adjust — add more salt, a squeeze of lime juice (use part of the listed 2 tbs later), and a little serrano if you want more heat. Strain the purée through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl if you prefer a smoother sauce; press solids to extract flavor. Set salsa verde aside.
- 4
Season and brown the pork
Pat the pork cubes dry with paper towels and season evenly with 2 tsp kosher salt and 1 tsp ground black pepper. In a large, heavy ovenproof pot or Dutch oven heat 2 tbs vegetable oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches so you don’t crowd the pan, brown the pork cubes on all sides — about 4–6 minutes per batch — until deep golden-brown. Transfer browned pork to a plate and repeat until all pork is browned. Reserve any browned bits in the pot.
- 5
Sauté aromatics and deglaze
Reduce heat to medium. Add the diced onion (2 cups) to the pot and sauté 6–8 minutes until softened and beginning to brown. Add the remaining garlic cloves (the ones not roasted) and cook 1 minute until fragrant. Pour in the remaining chicken stock (about 2 cups left) to deglaze the pot, scraping up browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon — these bits add key flavor.
- 6
Combine and braise
Return all browned pork to the pot. Pour the blended salsa verde over the pork so the meat is mostly submerged; add the bay leaves. Stir gently to combine. Bring the pot to a gentle simmer on the stovetop, then cover and transfer to a preheated oven at 325°F (160°C). Braise 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until the pork is fork-tender and easily shredded.
- 7
Shred the pork and adjust the sauce
Remove the pot from the oven. Using two forks, shred the pork pieces in the pot; stir meat into the cooking liquid so it absorbs the sauce. If the sauce is too thin, simmer uncovered on the stovetop over medium-low for 10–15 minutes to reduce, or whisk 1 tbs masa harina with 2 tbs cold water until smooth and stir into the simmering sauce to thicken, cooking 5–10 minutes more. Stir in 2 tbs fresh lime juice and the remaining cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning with extra salt and black pepper as needed.
- 8
Transfer to tray and keep warm
Preheat a large hotel pan or rimmed sheet tray (a 12x20-inch tray or similar) and transfer the finished chili verde to the tray, spreading in an even layer for service. Keep covered in a low oven (200°F/95°C) or on a steam table / warming tray until ready to serve.
Finishing & Garnish
- 9
Prepare garnishes
While the pork finishes, prepare the garnishes: finely dice 1 cup white onion, chop 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, thinly slice 1 cup radishes, and crumble 1 cup queso fresco. Cut 6 limes into wedges. Arrange garnishes in small bowls for service.
- 10
- 11
Serve from the tray
Place the tray of hot chili verde on the service line or table. Provide warmed tortillas and small bowls of diced onion, chopped cilantro, sliced radishes, crumbled queso fresco, and lime wedges. Let diners build tacos: spoon chili verde into a warm tortilla and top as desired. Re-taste the chili occasionally and adjust salt or pepper as needed before service.
- 12
Storage and make-ahead notes
Chili verde keeps well: cool to room temperature, refrigerate up to 3–4 days or freeze up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, adding a splash of stock or water if needed. If frozen, defrost overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.