Chile Verde {Mexican Stewed Pork-Crock Pot}

I'm back!  I went to Tennessee to visit my family for 3 weeks and am now getting back into the routine of things.  I have several new recipes that I will be adding sometime soon.  Here's the first!  I actually made this just before I left.  It's actually another wonderful recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.  This was my 2nd time in making it, and both times they were great.  This last time though, I don't think I cooked the meat long enough, b/c it wasn't as easy to shred.  The 1st time, it seriously just fell apart, this time not as much.  I love this recipe b/c it is so full of flavors and the pork just melts in your mouth.  And, have I mentioned before how much I love crock pot meals?  Well, I love them!  Anyways, I'll go ahead and rate this a 4.5.

Trim off all fat and cut into 3 pieces and then salt and pepper each side. (Not as much as you would S & P a pork roast. Just about what I did above.)

Brown each side in heated oil.

Mix in chopped onions and heat through.

Add all ingredients into the crock pot...

And mix.

Cook on low for 8-9 hours or high for 4-5 hours.

Take meat out and shred.

Pour all liquids into a pot and simmer for 20-30 minutes until liquid is reduced.  I went ahead and just transferred the meat straight into the pot, instead of back into the crock pot, and heated through.

I like to serve w/ fried corn tortillas, w/ lettuce, cheese and sour cream.  The meat is also great used for taquitos. They are soo flavorful and delicious!  Yum!

Chile Verde (Mexican Stewed Pork)

*Note: don’t even think about skipping the step of reducing the sauce. It is absolutely essential to the flavor of the sauce! Just make sure to plan ahead – the roast takes 8-9 hours on low in the crock pot (or 3-4 hours in the oven) and an additional 30 minutes to reduce the sauce.

*Second Note: The leftovers freeze excellently. After the pork has cooled, I put it in a Ziploc bag, freeze it, then take it out and let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then reheat on low on the stove top or in the oven. (I personally just used a Tupperware bowl.)

*Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons canola oil
5 pounds boneless pork roast, trimmed of as much fat as possible
Salt and pepper for seasoning roast
2 yellow onions, chopped
5 cloves garlic, finely minced or crushed
1 (15 oz.) can green enchilada sauce
2 (4 oz.) cans diced green chilies
2 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 beef bouillon cube (or 1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon black pepper

Cut the roast into 3-4 large chunks. Season the pork generously with salt and pepper on all sides. In a large heavy pot, the oil over medium heat until the oil is shimmering and hot. Add the pork, being careful not to crowd the pot (brown the pork in shifts, if needed). Brown the pork on all sides until golden and well-browned, about 30 seconds to a minute on each side. Leave the roast in the pot and add the onion and garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring often. 

Place the pork and garlic and onions in the slow cooker (read below for oven-roasting method). Stir in the rest of the ingredients to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours.

After the roast has cooked for the allotted time, remove the roast. Shred it into bite-size pieces and set aside, covered with foil to keep warm. Pour the remaining liquid and ingredients from the slow cooker into a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil on the stove, and simmer vigorously over medium-low or medium heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking or burning, until the mixture considerably reduced and thickened.

Add the pork roast and sauce back to the slow cooker. Stir to coat the pork with the sauce. Turn the crock pot to low or high and allow the pork to heat through again. Serve with warm tortillas and desired toppings, such as sour cream, cheese, avocados, lettuce, tomatoes.  Enjoy!



**Oven-roasting Instructions:When beginning the recipe, make sure to use an oven-safe pot for the browning (such as a large enameled cast-iron pot). Follow the recipe up until the point of adding the pork to the slow cooker. Instead, keep the pork in the oven-safe pot. Add in all the other recipe ingredients plus 1/2 cup water. Stir to combine. Cover the pot and cook in the oven at 300 degrees for 3-4 hours. When finished cooking, remove the roast as directed in the above instructions. Follow the recipe to reduce the sauce. I've never made it this way, but I trust Mel.**