This Easy Slow Cooker New Mexico & Colorado Hatch Chile Verde Recipe may be the best pork stew you’ve ever tasted
Prep Time30 minutesmins
Cook Time3 hourshrs30 minutesmins
Total Time4 hourshrs
Course: main
Cuisine: American
Keyword: hatch chile
Servings: 4
Calories: 492kcal
Ingredients
1cuphatch chilesabout 4
4lbpork shoulder/butttrimmed and cubed
1lbtomatillo
6clovesgarlic
1cupfresh cilantroabout half a bunch
1medium oniondiced
1tbspcumin
2cupschicken stockno sodium/unsalted preferred
tbsporeganoMexican oregano preferred, optional
Instructions
Trim your pork butt and cube it. Season well with salt and pepper and set aside.
Set your oven to broil. Wash and dry your tomatillos and hatch chiles. Rub them with oil (any oil is fine) and place in oven. Flip them when they are toasted to your liking and do the other side. This took 18 minutes in our oven at 550ºF.
While you are waiting for your peppers to roast, brown your pork shoulder cubes in your dutch oven on high heat or your slow cooker on high/saute. Work in batches to avoid crowding. Once all the pork is browned, move it to a plate and set aside. Be sure to use a timer so you don’t forget about the chiles roasting in the oven, or check back after every batch of pork.
Once the peppers are done, put them in a ziploc bag to steam for 10 minutes. Transfer the tomatillos along with cilantro, garlic, and a little salt to a blender and set aside.
Once you are done browning the pork, reduce heat to low and cook your onions. When the onions are translucent, add the cumin seeds and continue cooking for another 2 minutes to toast them. Then add the pork, all accumulated juices on the plate, and the chicken stock.
Remove the chiles from the bag and peel them. It’s not necessary but highly suggested that you also seed them with a small spoon. Once the chiles have been peeled and seeded, put them in the blender and puree. Once the salsa verde is pureed to your liking, combine it with the rest of the ingredients, mix well, and simmer for 2-4 hours.
In the last 1/2 hour of cooking, taste the chili and adjust seasoning, and if you are using oregano, add it in now.
Serve with cilantro, tortillas, and rice, or just enjoy by itself.
Notes
Serves 4 as a main or 8 as a side. Estimated nutrition is for a side portion.