Pork Chile Verde

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs Swift Pork Shoulder Butt, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp dried oregano, Mexican preferred
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 10 tomatillos, fresh
• 3 jalapeno peppers, seeded
• 1 poblano chile pepper, seeded
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, packed
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, cut to 1 – 1½-inch chunks, optional
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish, optional

Directions:

1. Heat vegetable oil in a large pot over high heat until it’s very hot. Add the pork cubes in a single layer to the pot, leaving space between them. Sear pork for three to five minutes, turning with tongs until brown on all sides. Work in batches until all pork is browned.
2. With all the browned pork in the pan, add onion and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook until onions are soft and translucent, about three to five minutes, Add oregano, cumin, coriander, and cayenne. Stir and cook until seasonings become fragrant, then reduce heat to low.
3. Remove the paper husk from all of the tomatillos. Rinse any sticky residue from the tomatillos and cut into quarters. In a blender or food processor, add tomatillos, garlic, jalapeno, poblano, cilantro, and chicken broth. Pulse on and off until pieces start to break down and you can blend until liquified.
4. Add blended vegetables, 1 teaspoon salt and bay leaf to the pot with the meat. If you are using potatoes, add them with ½ teaspoon salt, and black pepper. If the mix has reduced where the stock doesn’t cover the potatoes, add enough to cover them. Cover and bring to a simmer.
5. Simmer until meat and potatoes are tender, about 1 ½ – 2 hours.
6. Serve with sour cream and additional cilantro.