Chile Verde

1 1/2 pounds tomatillos
5 garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 jalapeños, seeds and ribs removed, chopped
2 Anaheim or Poblano chiles, optional
1 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped
3 1/2 to 4 pounds pork shoulder (also called pork butt), trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1 to 2-inch cubes
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
2 yellow onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano or 1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
Pinch ground cloves

To serve:

Flour or corn tortillas
Spanish rice

Recipe

Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray or grease with oil. Place the tomatillos, jalapeños, poblanos, and serrano peppers on the baking sheet and place under the broiler. Broil on high for 10 minutes, flipping the vegetables over halfway through.
Remove the baking sheet from the broiler and cover it with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Uncover and remove as much of the skin from the peppers as possible. At this point, you can also remove the seeds from any of the peppers if you don't want it too spicy.
Add the tomatillos, peppers, onions, and garlic into a large blender and blend until smooth. Set aside until ready to use.
Heat the cooking oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the pork and season generously with salt and pepper. Sear the meat on all sides until nicely browned.
Stir in the blended salsa verde, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon so you get all the brown bits. Cover, reduce the heat to low, simmer, and cook for 2 to 3 hours until the pork is tender.
Stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Taste and season with more salt, if needed.

History

Green chili is thought to originate from Mexico. Its base sauce—salsa verde—dates to Aztec times. The regions of Mexico have different versions, depending on which ingredients are to hand.

However, green chili, chili verde in Spanish, goes under different names in Mexico, including chili verde con cerdo (green chili with pork), cerdo en salsa verde (pork in salsa verde), and puerco con chili verde (pork with green chili).