Pork Chile Verde

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds fresh tomatillos , or more to taste, husks removed
• 3 serranos peppers
• 4 cloves garlic , peeled
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil
• 3 pounds pork shoulder , or more to taste, trimmed and cut into 1 ½-inch cubes
• 2 teaspoons garlic salt
• 0.5 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 medium yellow onion , coarsely chopped
• 1 green bell pepper , coarsely chopped
• 0.5 cups red wine
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
• 0.33 cups chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. 2

   Combine tomatillos, serrano peppers, and garlic in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Transfer to a baking sheet.

3. 3

   Place in the preheated oven and roast until tender, about 30 minutes. Remove vegetables from oven, cool slightly, and transfer to the bowl of a food processor. Puree until smooth. Reduce oven temperature to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).

4. 4

   While vegetables are roasting, heat lard in a Dutch oven or heavy oven-safe pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with garlic salt and pepper and add to the pot in batches. Cook each batch until browned, about 7 minutes, removing to a plate with a slotted spoon. Drain and discard all but 2 tablespoons pan drippings.

5. 5

   Add onion and bell pepper to the pot. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour wine into the pan and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in browned pork, tomatillo puree, chicken stock, cilantro, oregano, cumin, and salt.

6. 6

   Cover and cook in the oven until pork is tender, 3 ½ to 4 hours. Allow to stand for 15 minutes, covered, before serving.