This is an authentic and super flavorful Mexican dish- with the only change being a bit leaner pork. I used pork loin and trimmed off the fat. For my Vegetarian friends, skip the pork, make the sauce- and put over the beans- you will not be disappointed- the sauce is everything! This is not a spicy dish (you can definitely add heat with more jalapenos) but is very tasty!
Chile Verde Sauce/Salsa:
You will need a strong blender or food processor to blend the sauce/salsa.
Prepare and roast the peppers and tomatillos:
4 poblano peppers- de-stemmed - sliced in half vertically (these peppers are not spicy but have a great flavor)
2 jalapeno peppers- de-stemmed and deseeded (or leave the seeds for more heat) and sliced in half vertically.
Rinse about a half a bunch of fresh cilantro and chop
Rinse and shuck 1.5lbs of fresh tomatillos - and cut in half
Roast the peppers and tomatillos: I pre-heated a cast iron pan on medium heat to roast the peppers and tomatillos - worked great! I have also seen people roast in the oven as an option, but I prefer more char. Roast and turn until the poblanos and tomatillos soften and have a bit of a char,
Add roasted peppers and tomatillos to your blender with:
1/4-1/2 fresh onion
3 cloves peeled garlic
Sea salt to taste
1/2 a bunch of fresh cilantro
Blend till a sauce like texture
Prepare your pork loin:
Cube your pork loin after trimming the fat.
Set your InstaPot to the Sautee setting and add bit of avocado oil ( or your favorite cooking oil).
Season your pork with salt and pepper
Add your cubed pork and sautee till browned on all sides.
Season with 1/2 Tbls ground Cumin and 1/2 Tbls oregano- I used fresh, but dried is great
Once browned, add 2 cups chicken broth/stock.
Add your chili verde sauce, and set InstaPot or CrockPot to slow cook setting for 4 hrs.
Once finished, serve with Pinto Beans - you will need to make this simultaneously, or used canned.
Garnish with your favorites- I used red cabbage and avocado, and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro- radish, onion, jalapenos- all would be delish!
Using many of the same ingredients, you can also make a tomatillo salsa to use on top to add extra heat to this or to have with chips or top other dishes. Might as well make both while you are at it ;).
Nutritional Notes:
Pork Loin - I was surprised is basically very similar to chicken breast - Pork Nutrition Information Compared With Chicken (livestrong.com)
Red Cabbage-Red Cabbage: Health Benefits, Nutrients per Serving, Preparation Information, and More (webmd.com)
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