Hatch Green Chile Verde

An old friend from my nursing school days told me that the way to find out if a Mexican restaurant is good is to order the Chile' Verde. You don't have to twist my arm. I love heat, spice and Hatch Green Chiles. When I saw a recipe for Hatch Green Chile Verde I knew I had to try it.

Ingredients:

• Pork shoulder
• Posole Seasoning (sometimes spelled pozole) Note: Posole seasoning is salty. Use more or less per personal preference.
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Garlic
• Yellow onion
•  Pure Green Chile( I used MILD!)
• Low sodium chicken broth
• Potatoes (optional)

(See recipe card for quantities.)

Instructions:

• Trim excess fat from pork shoulder and cut into 1" cubes.
• Coat the meat with Posole Seasoning mixing it in well. This would be the time to cut down on the amount of seasoning if you prefer less salt. You can always add more later!
• Add olive oil to a large skillet. Turn heat on medium/medium-high and brown the pork on all sides.
• Once browned, remove the meat from skillet with a slotted spoon, reserving the oil in the skillet. Set meat aside.
• Chop two yellow onions and add to skillet with remaining olive oil and cook over medium heat until translucent.
• Add in the pressed garlic and cook an extra 30 seconds. Watch closely as garlic burns quickly.
• Transfer onions, garlic, and meat to a braiser or Dutch over with lid.
• Add the chicken broth and ¾ jar of MILD Fresh Chile Co. Pure Green Chile Roast or your favorite jarred green chile.
• Place pot in 325 degree oven for 2-3 hours or until meat is fork tender. Add the remianing green chile and cook an additional 10 minutes.
• INSTAPOT USERS: You can use your Instapot instead of the oven. Place the onions and garlic, seared pork, and chicken broth in the Instapot. I used the pressure cooker setting on my Instapot Mini for 35 minutes and it was perfect. After releasing steam add the remaining green chile and cook on sauté setting for 10 minutes.
• Boil the potatoes until al dente, then brown them in a skillet with butter. You can also make rice instead.
• Serve piping hot over cooked potato cubes or rice.

What makes this recipe so good?

• My spouse does not share my love of spicy food, so I always adjust recipes to make just a few servings for me. I freeze the leftovers for those nights when he is gone or feels like having a bowl of cereal.
• This recipe is especially easy because it calls for jarred green chiles, and posole seasoning. My favorites come from The Fresh Chile Company. You can find links for them right in the recipe below. I used the Mild Green Chile and they have just the right amount of heat.
• You can cook it in a Dutch oven on the stove, in the regular oven, or in an InstaPot!

Serving Suggestions:

This recipe for Hatch Green Chile Verde is so versatile.

• You can serve it the traditional way over cooked potatoes.
• You can serve it over rice.
• You can use as a filling for tacos.
• You can roll it up in a burrito.
• You can put it in a chimichanga.
• You can use it to make Huevos Rancheros.
• Or you can eat it by itself, in a bowl with a side of flour tortillas.

Top Tips:

Use a bit of broth to help deglaze the skillet that the meat and onions cooked in earlier. Add it to the cooking pot to include all that flavor in your Chile Verde! Reserve ¼ jar of the green chile to add just before serving for that lovely green color!

Your family and friends will think you got takeout from the best Mexican restaurant in town!