Pork Shoulder Chili Verde with Potatoes

Yield serves 6-8
RECIPE Ingredients
  • 1 bunch scallions, rough chopped
  • 1½ cups rough chopped fresh cilantro
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 1 pound tomatillos, husked, washed, and cut into wedges, divided use
  • 4 cups chicken broth, divided use
  • 6 mild - medium green chili peppers, such as jalapeños, Hatch, Poblano or Anaheim
  • Neutral oil
  • 5lbs Boneless Berkshire Pork Shoulder, or Heritage Pork Shoulder, trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cups chopped onion
  • 1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds
  • 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
  • 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • Sour cream, lime wedges, cilantro, for serving (optional)
Recipe notes
For this hearty pork chili recipe, our boneless Berkshire pork butt cooks slowly in a mixture of fresh salsa verde, roasted green chili peppers, and chicken stock.
RECIPE Preparation
  1. To a blender or food-processor, add scallions, chopped cilantro, garlic cloves, ¼ of the tomatillos, and 2 cups of the chicken broth. Puree and set aside.
  2. Roast the chili peppers: Preheat broiler to high. Lay the chili peppers on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil until pepper skins are thoroughly charred, flipping once about halfway through, about 10-15 minutes total. Remove pan from oven and cover peppers with a tea towel for about 20 minutes. Slip off the charred skin, using a paper towel to pull off all of the blackened bits. Remove stems, then cut peppers open and remove the seeds. Dice cleaned, roasted peppers and set aside.
  3. Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season pork with salt & pepper. Working in batches as to not crowd the pan, brown pork on all sides. Remove pork with slotted spoon and set aside. To the same pot, add onion and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in cumin seeds and continue to cook until cumin is toasted and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add remaining tomatillos; cook until tender stirring occasionally. Add pork back to the pot along with any juices that may have run off. Add 2 cups of chicken broth, roasted chili peppers, oregano, and 2 cups of the reserved green puree. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until pork is tender, about 2-3 hours.
  4. Add potatoes and additional stock to thin, if needed. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in remaining green puree, bring to simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with sour cream, tortillas, lime wedges, and additional cilantro.