Pork Chili Verde

Pork Chili Verde is a hybrid between chili verde and posole, and it's a happy surprise.

With high temperatures in the lower-60s, it feels like soup weather to me.

With that in mind, Pork Chili Verde is what I made for family who came over to watch the LSU – Clemson game last week (Geaux Tigers!). I was prepared for LSU to win the Championship, but I wasn’t prepared for the winner that this soup turned out to be.

This Pork Chili Verde is sort of a hybrid of a chili verde and a posole. That mashup happened because at the last minute I decided to throw in some hominy to make the soup a little heartier. But then, it’s a different breed altogether, because I used sweet potatoes, skins still on, instead of russets or Yukon golds. Initially, that was my nod to making something on the tiny bit healthier side, but in the end, it turned out to just be delicious. Jarred tomatillo sauce makes this soup a breeze. And if you make it on Sunday and refrigerate it overnight in order to skim the fat off the top the next day, you’ve got Monday’s dinner on the table in 30 minutes. 

My recommendation: Make this craveable Pork Chili Verde this weekend. It’s one big, happy surprise.

Pork Chili Verde

Ingredients: 
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons oregano
1 can diced chiles
1 16-ounce jar tomatillo sauce (I used Wright’s of Texas Fresh Green Medium Salsa)
1 medium sweet potato with skin, diced
8 cups chicken broth, divided
1 can hominy, rinsed and drained
Optional garnishes: Chopped cilantro, thinly sliced radish, avocado, lime wedges and/or scallions

Recipe directions: 
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Pat the pork dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper. Add the pork cubes to the pot and cook, turning occasionally until browned on all sides. Use a slotted spoon to remove the pork to a bowl. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the fat in the pot. 

To the same pot, add the onion and sauté over medium heat until it is translucent. Stir in the cumin and oregano, then the chiles. Put the pork back in the pot. Stir in the tomatillo sauce, then the sweet potato, then add 4 cups of the chicken broth. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and ¾ teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. 

After 2 hours, add another cup of chicken broth. Cook uncovered on medium-low for another hour. Let the chili cool, and refrigerate overnight.

Skim the top layer of fat off the cold chili. Stir in 3 cups chicken broth and hominy. Bring to a boil, then simmer on low for 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Top with garnishes if you’d like.