
Recipe: Pork in salsa Verde
Hector Gonzalez / Project 658 / Charlotte, North Carolina
For this recipe I like to use a piece of pork that is rich and meaty. Try using a good piece of belly or even shoulder. This is a very traditional recipe that can be made to serve over rice and beans, or with a salad, and makes a good stuffing for a burrito.
For the salsa verde:
3 pounds tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed well
2 white onions, peeled and cut into wedges
1 bunch cilantro, leaves and stems
4 medium serrano chiles or to taste
5 cloves garlic, peeled
3 pounds pork belly, cut into 2-inch chunks
2 quarts chicken stock
kosher salt
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook tomatillos and 1 of the onions until soft, about 15 minutes.
Drain and transfer to a blender along with the garlic and cilantro and 1 tablespoon of salt; blend until smooth and set aside.
In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, sear the pork in batches until brown, about 5 minutes per batch. Season each batch of pork with salt while browning. After all the pork has been browned, pour off the majority of the rendered fat and save it for another use.
Add the second onion to the pot and fry it up in the fat that remains.
Add the salsa verde and and 2 quarts of chicken stock to the pot and let cook slowly, covered, until the meat is tender, about 2 hours.
(From Crop Stories No.6)