G) Carne De Puerco En Chile Verde Recipe
or Chile Colorado. Pork Meat with Green or Red Sauce
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Ingredients
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Pork and Marinade
Green Chile Verde Sauce (for Chile Verde)
Red Chile Colorado Sauce (alternate for Chile Colorado)
Garnish and Serving
Method
Pork Preparation
Trim and season
Pat the pork shoulder dry with paper towels. Cut into 1–1.5 inch cubes if not already cut. Season evenly with 2 tsp kosher salt and 1 tsp black pepper; toss to coat.
Brown the pork
Heat 2 tbs vegetable oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches (do not crowd), sear the pork pieces on all sides until a deep golden-brown crust forms, about 3–4 minutes per side. Transfer browned pork to a plate and set aside. Leave any fond (browned bits) in the pot.
Green Chile Verde Sauce (choose this section for Chile Verde)
Prepare tomatillos and chiles
Bring a pot of water to a simmer. Add husked tomatillos and jalapeños/serranos and simmer 6–8 minutes until softened and bright green. Drain. If using a poblano, char it directly over a gas flame or under a broiler until blackened on all sides, then place in a bowl covered with plastic to steam for 10 minutes; peel off skin, remove seeds and stem.
Blend the green sauce
In a blender, combine the drained tomatillos, blanched chiles (start with 2 jalapeños and add more later if you want more heat), charred poblano (if using), 1 cup chopped onion, 4 garlic cloves, 1 cup packed cilantro, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp dried oregano and 1 tbs vegetable oil. Blend until smooth. Add up to 200 ml of the chicken stock if needed to loosen to a pourable sauce consistency.
Sauté and finish sauce
Return the pot with the reserved fond to medium heat. Add the blended sauce and the remaining 300 ml chicken stock, stirring to scrape up browned bits. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and simmer gently 8–10 minutes to meld flavors. Taste and season with 1.5 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper and 2 tbs fresh lime juice. If sauce is too bright/tart, simmer a few minutes more; if too thin, simmer uncovered to reduce slightly.
Combine pork and simmer
Return the browned pork (and any accumulated juices) to the pot with the green sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover partially, and cook over low to medium-low heat until pork is tender and easily shredded with a fork, 1 to 1¼ hours. Stir occasionally and adjust seasoning if needed. If using a pressure cooker, cook on high pressure 25–30 minutes and allow natural release.
Finish and serve
Once pork is tender, taste and adjust salt, pepper, or lime. Stir in a handful of chopped cilantro if desired. Serve hot with warm tortillas, diced onion, cilantro and lime wedges.
Red Chile Colorado Sauce (alternate—choose this section for Chile Colorado)
Toast and rehydrate chiles
Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast the guajillo and ancho/pasilla chiles for 15–30 seconds per side until fragrant but not burnt. Remove and soak in hot water for 15–20 minutes until softened. Drain, reserving a small amount of soaking liquid.
Fry aromatics and chiles
In the pot with reserved fond, add 2 tbs vegetable oil over medium heat. Add 1 cup chopped onion and sauté until translucent, 4–5 minutes. Add 4 garlic cloves and sauté 30–60 seconds until fragrant. Add the drained chiles and fry gently 1–2 minutes to deepen flavor.
Blend the red sauce
Transfer the fried chiles, onions and garlic to a blender along with 1 cup tomato (or 1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes and 1/2 cup soaking liquid if needed), 1 tsp ground cumin and 1 tsp dried oregano. Blend until smooth, adding a little stock or soaking liquid to reach a pourable consistency.
Cook sauce and combine
Return the blended red sauce to the pot, add 500 ml chicken stock, bring to a simmer and cook 8–10 minutes to develop flavor. Season with 1.5 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Return browned pork to the pot, cover partially and simmer on low until pork is fork-tender, about 1 to 1¼ hours (or pressure-cook 25–30 minutes).
Finish and serve
Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve the pork in red sauce with warm tortillas, diced onion, cilantro and lime wedges.
Garnish and Serving
To serve, spoon Carne de Puerco en Chile Verde (or Chile Colorado) into shallow bowls or onto warm tortillas. Top with diced onion and chopped cilantro, and offer lime wedges on the side. Leftovers keep well refrigerated for 3–4 days and flavors often deepen overnight.