Monday, June 23, 2014

Pork Chile Verde with Cilantro Lime Rice


Happy Monday! It's been a long time since I've posted anything here, for myriad reasons. I'm trying to get back on track and appreciate those of you who've stuck around.

This pork dish is completely addictive - from the time you start chopping the produce until it all comes together and hits the plate. Waiting the hour for it to simmer can be like torture if you're really  hungry. You must love cilantro, though. Parsley might work as a substitute, but I haven't and won't ever try it that way because we love it as-is so I can't guarantee it'll be any where near as good as the original.
Ingredients:
  • 1 pork tenderloin, approx. 1 lb., cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 tsp. ground cumin
  • ¾ tsp. kosher salt, divided
  • ½ tsp. pepper, divided
  • 2 tsp. canola oil, divided
  • 10-12 tomatillos (about 1 lb.), peeled, rinsed and chopped into quarters
  • 1 large sweet onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
  • 1 med green pepper, coarsely chopped
  • ½ jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped, divided
  • Zest of 3 limes, divided
  • Juice of 3 limes
  • Sour cream and additional cilantro for serving, optional
Method:
  1. Combine pork, cumin, ½ tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. pepper and 1 tsp. oil.
  2. Preheat large stock pot on med-high 2-3 min. Place pork mix in pan; cook 2-3 min to brown.
  3. Place remaining 1 tsp. oil in pan, then add onions, tomatillos, and garlic; cook 3-4 min or until onions softened
  4. Stir in zest of two limes and all of juice. Cover and reduce heat to med-low; simmer 60-65 min or until pork is tender.
  5. Stir into pork: bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, and ½ cup cilantro. Cook 4-5 more min or until peppers are tender.
  6. Prepare rice following package instructions. Stir in remaining ½ cup cilantro, remaining ¼ tsp. each salt and pepper, and remaining zest of one lime.
  7. Serve pork chili over rice. Top with a dollop of sour cream and additional fresh cilantro.