Pork Chucks In Tomatillo Salsa Recipes

PORK STEW IN GREEN SALSA (GUISADO DE PUERCO CON TOMATILLOS)

Steps:

• Stir together the flour, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and cumin in a large bowl. Place the cubed pork into the mixture, and stir well to coat the meat with the seasonings.
• Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Working in batches if necessary, place the meat into the hot pan in a single layer. Pan-fry the pork until brown on all sides, about 15 minutes. Remove the pork to a bowl, and cover to keep warm.
• Cook and stir the onion in the hot pan over medium heat, adding more olive oil if necessary, until the onion is translucent and beginning to brown, about 7 minutes. Return the meat to the pan and stir in the garlic, tomatillos, chiles, marjoram, chopped cilantro, and water. Check seasoning and add 1 pinch of salt to taste, if needed. Cover and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender, about 1 hour. Skim excess fat off the stew before serving in bowls, garnished with a dollop of sour cream and a cilantro sprig on each bowl.

PORK IN TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• Season the pork with salt, garlic powder and pepper. Let sit for a few minutes.
• Preheat 4 tablespoons of oil in a large, heavy skillet to medium for a few minutes.
• Brown the pork as best you can on all sides in the hot oil.
• Pour in 3 cups of warm water. Stir well, scraping the bottom of pan to get all those bits of flavor off the bottom. Cover with tight lid and continue cooking at heat right below medium for about 45-60 minutes or until the liquid evaporates.
• While pork is cooking, add your tomatillos, jalapeños, onion and garlic to a pot of simmering water. Simmer for 10 minutes or just until tomatillos turn from bright green to olive green.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer salsa ingredients to the blender. Add cilantro and salt to taste. Blend on high until very smooth. Set aside.
• Once all the liquid has evaporated from the pork, add the diced onion and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes. Pour in the salsa. Stir in the oregano and bay leaves. Reduce heat. If adding nopales, add them in right now. Cover and cook at a steady simmer for 20 minutes.

PORK IN TOMATILLO SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large pot, add the pork meat seasoned with salt and pepper, plus the bay leaf, and cook. Stir frequently to brown the pieces of meat on all sides. About 6-8 minutes.
• Add 1 cup of water and reduce heat to simmer (covered) for about 20 minutes.
• While the meat is cooking, roast the tomatillos, peppers, onion and garlic on an ungreased griddle over medium heat. Toss to evenly roast them. About 12-15 minutes. The garlic will take less time, so be sure to remove promptly. Remove the tomatillos, peppers and garlic once they're soft and blackened, and place in a bowl covered with aluminum foil to cool for 3-5 minutes. Peel garlic cloves. If you are adding the cinnamon and cloves, slightly toast them too, they will take just a few seconds.
• Place the roasted tomatillos, peppers, garlic, onion, cinnamon, cloves, oregano and the released juices into blender or food processor. Puree until you have a chunky mixture.
• Add the tomatillo mixture to the pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring frequently until meat is tender. This step will take about 45 minutes or more.

TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• Pull the husks from the tomatillos and wash them under cool water until they no longer feel sticky. Cut them into quarters and put them into the work bowl of a food processor. Add the onion and garlic and process until smooth. Add the cilantro, jalapeno and lime juice and process until the jalapeno is finely chopped.
• Scrape the mixture into a small saucepan. Season lightly with salt and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is boiled off and the salsa looks relish-y, about 15 minutes. Cool before using. The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week. If refrigerated, you may want to add a little salt and/or lime juice to the salsa before serving.

PORK & VEGETABLES IN TOMATILLO-CASCABEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Cook tomatillos and garlic in large skillet on medium-high heat 10 min. or until roasted, stirring frequently. Add chiles; cook and stir 1 min. Peel garlic; add to blender with water, bouillon cube and 1/4 cup cilantro. Blend until smooth.
• Heat oven to 350ºF. Toss pork shoulder chunks with steak sauce; cook, in batches, in large skillet on medium-high heat 4 min. or until evenly browned, stirring frequently. Transfer to ovenproof Dutch oven. Add ham, vegetables and tomatillo sauce; mix lightly. Cover.
• Bake 1 hour 15 min. or until pork chunks are tender. Stir in remaining chopped cilantro just before serving.

TOMATILLO PORK ROAST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
• Place rice into the bottom of a Dutch oven; add water, tomatoes, onion, green chile peppers, ancho chile peppers, chicken bouillon, oregano, and cloves. Place roast on top of the rice mixture; season with salt and pepper. Pour salsa verde over roast. Cover Dutch oven.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 6 hours.
• Discard pork bones and ancho chile peppers. Shred pork and return to Dutch oven; stir. Transfer pork mixture to a serving plate using a slotted spoon, draining well.

CHILE-GLAZED PORK CHOPS WITH FRESH TOMATILLO SAUCE

Steps:

• Slather both sides of the pork chops with the chile paste and place in a large resealable plastic bag. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes (and up to a few hours).
• Leave a light coating of the chile paste on the pork chops and season with salt and pepper. Place a large, well-seasoned cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the pork chops in a single layer and sear for 2 minutes on each side, or until the meat turns golden brown.
• Pour in enough beer to barely cover the chops. Cover the pan (top with a piece of aluminum foil large enough to cover the pan if yours does not have a lid) and decrease the heat to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes. Turn the pork chops over and cook for another 15 minutes.
• Uncover the skillet and increase the heat to medium-high. Allow the liquid to reduce almost completely, flipping the pork chops over every few minutes to ensure that both sides become glazed with the reduced sauce. This should take about 10 minutes.
• Serve warm with tomatillo sauce.
• INGREDIENTS
• Pork Chops
• Because bone-in pork chops are more flavorful than boneless chops, I prefer them in this recipe. But feel free to use either one. I also like to use the thick cuts, but the thin ones also work well. Just make sure to decrease the braising time if you are using thin cuts because they will cook in less time.
• TECHNIQUES
• Braising the Pork Chop
• Braising is a technique used to tenderize tough cuts of meat. The meat is first seared to develop a nice golden crust, then simmered in a liquid to cook it through without drying it out. You will find variations of this technique throughout the meat recipes in this book, as Mexican cooking tends to use tougher (and tastier) cuts of meat.
• ADVANCE PREPARATION
• The red chile paste and tomatillo sauce can be made well in advance (up to 3 days before). Once the pork chops are braised, they can be held, covered, in a warm (250°F) oven for about 1 hour before serving.

TOMATILLO PORK BRAISE WITH PICKLED CHILIS (PUERCO EN SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• Scoop the tomatillos into a slow cooker and spread them in an even layer. Scatter on the garlic, jalapenos and half of the cilantro. Sprinkle evenly with 1 ½ tsp salt.
• In a large bowl, combine the pork and Worcestershire sauce, mixing until the cubes are well coated. Distribute the meat over the tomatillo mixture. Cover and slow cook on high for 6 hours.
• With a pair of tongs, remove the pork to a bowl. Tip or ladle the sauce mixture into a blender and add the remaining cilantro. Cover loosely and blend until smooth; return the mixture to the slow cooker. Stir in the drained beans, taste and add salt as necessary; Stir in a little water if the sauce has thickened beyond the consistency of a light cream soup. Add a little sugar if the sauce is too tart. Return the meat to the pot, let everything warm through and serve.
• Variations:.
• This dish can be cooked in a Dutch oven instead of the slow cooker. In a medium large (4 to 6 quart) heavy pot or Dutch oven, layer the tomatillos, flavorings and meat as described above. Cover with the sauce, set the lid in place and braise in a 3000F oven for 2 ½ to 3 hours, until the pork is completely tender. Complete the dish as described above.
• The beans can be replaced with potatoes or small sweet turnips (cut into wedges) or carrots (2 inch lengths cut into sticks). Toss them with a little salt and place them on top of the sauce ingredients before layering in the pork. Take them out with the meat while you finish the sauce.
• Add a big handful of spinach to the blender when pureeing the sauce; a few Tbsp of Mexican Crema or heavy cream works magic on this spinach enhanced sauce. Epazote may be used in place of the cilantro.
• This dish is perfect made with 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Or replace the pork shoulder with 1 inch pieces of beef chuck; double the cilantro and use 2 poblanos. The beef will benefit greatly from browning before slow cooking.
• Either brown the cubed pork in a little oil in a single layer in a large skillet, or spread it out on an oiled baking sheet (with sides) and slide it close up under a broiler. Slide the browned meat into the slow cooker.

PORK TAMALES WITH ROASTED TOMATILLO-CHILE SALSA

Steps:

• For the pork: Bring pork, water, onion, garlic, cilantro, and salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat, and simmer for 35 minutes. Let cool. Strain, reserving broth and pork separately and discarding onion, garlic, and cilantro.
• For the sauce: Preheat broiler. Place tomatoes, cut sides down, on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil, flipping occasionally, until soft and charred, about 10 minutes.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add dried chiles; press gently with a spatula and toss occasionally until soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and add enough hot water to cover chiles. Let soak for 10 minutes. Drain, and puree chiles in a blender or a food processor until smooth. Add tomatoes, 1/2 cup of the reserved pork broth, the chipotles, onion, garlic, and cilantro, and puree until smooth.
• Heat lard or shortening in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomato-chile mixture, and cook until slightly thick, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add pork and 1/2 cup of the remaining pork broth, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thick and pork is tender, about 15 minutes.
• For the batter: Combine masa harina and hot water, and stir until mixture forms a paste. Let cool.
• Heat 1 cup of the remaining pork broth until warm. Beat lard, baking powder, and salt with a mixer on high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, add 1 cup masa harina mixture and 1/3 cup warm pork broth, and beat until combined. Beat in remaining masa harina and 2/3 cup of the remaining pork broth. Raise speed to medium, and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. (Batter should be soft but still hold its shape in a spoon.) Refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days).
• Meanwhile, place cornhusks in a large bowl, and cover with water by about 2 inches. Place an inverted plate on top to keep the husks submerged. Let soak, turning and separating them occasionally, for at least 1 hour or until you are ready to assemble the tamales.
• To assemble: Remove 3 husks from water, and dry with paper towels. Tear husks to make a total of 90 thin strips.
• Remove another husk from water, place on a work surface, and dry. Scoop 2 tablespoons tamale batter over center of husk. Spread into a 4-inch square, leaving a 2-inch border on straight end and a 1/2-inch border on sides. Spoon 1 1/2 teaspoons pork filling along center of batter. Fold 2 long sides of the husk in to meet in center. Tuck 1 inch of the pointed end up, and tie loosely with a strip of husk. Do not tuck opposite end, but tie it shut with another strip. Repeat, keeping finished tamales covered with damp paper towels as you work. (Tamales can be prepared up to this point 1 day in advance. Cover with damp paper towels, and refrigerate.)
• Add enough water to a large pot to come about 3 inches up sides. Bring to a simmer. Set a large metal colander in pot (it should rest above water). Place tamales vertically in colander, leaning them against one another. Cover pot, and cook until batter pulls away from sides (you will need to remove a tamale carefully and open it to check), about 1 1/2 hours, adding more water to pot as needed. Serve tamales with salsa and crema. Leftover tamales can be wrapped in plastic or sealed in a container and frozen for up to a month; you do not need to let them thaw before steaming.

ROAST PORK TACOS WITH TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• For the pork butt, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Melt the lard in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Cut the pork butt into 2-inch cubes. Add the pork to the pot and allow the meat to slowly brown. Season the pork with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Peel and quarter the yellow onion. Add the onion and garlic to the pot with the pork.
• Combine the cinnamon, turmeric, chile powder and crushed coriander and set aside. Continue to allow the pork to brown and caramelize.
• While the pork is browning, start the tomatillo salsa by heating a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil to the pan. Add the halved tomatillos, the outer strips of the jalapeños, halved onions and garlic, and cook until tender.
• Add the spices to the browned pork. Check the ingredients for the tomatillo salsa, the tomatillos and chiles will cook faster than the onion, so you can remove them to a bowl if necessary. Add ¼ cup (60ml) water to the pan to finish cooking the onions. Remove onions when softened. Cover the bowl with the cooked salsa ingredients.
• For the coleslaw, slice both cabbages and put in a large bowl. Add the juice of two limes, mirin, salt and fresh ginger, and toss to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit, tossing every 30 minutes, until the cabbage is slightly cooked by the seasonings.*Browning the pork will take about 20 to 25 minutes. Once the pork is sufficiently browned, add 1 to 2 cups of water to the pot, bring the water to a simmer, transfer the pot to the oven (preheated to 375 degrees F) and bake until the pork is fork tender about 1.5 hours, checking every 15 minutes.
• To finish the salsa, transfer the tomatillo mixture to a blender and puree until chunky, adding 1 tablespoon (15ml) water at a time, if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. The salsa can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
• Check the pork, and continue roasting uncovered to finish the caramelization process. Remove the pork butt from the oven and flake into large chunks with a fork. Make tacos with the pork in warm corn tortillas, garnished with the coleslaw, salsa, sour cream and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.