Chile Verde {Pressure Cooker Recipe}

This is the first year we've grown tomatillos in the garden. And I've wondered how we've survived all these years without these delightful vegetables. They are so fun to grow (and really quite easy). The main thing you have to remember when growing them is that you can't just grow one plant; you need at least two to pollinate. I love watching them form. They start out as hanging Chinese lanterns with the papery shell and then the vegetable forms inside. It's amazing.

It's been fun this harvest season to find recipes to put these cute little guys in. I've loved adding them to my fresh salsa recipe. It sends it over the top!  Last week after the first light frost I was surprised to go out to the garden and even though the tomato plants were all dead, the tomatillos had survived. They seem a little more frost tolerant than tomatoes, which is awesome. I picked a bunch of tomatillos and some peppers from our garden and made this yummy chile verde. 

I love the freshness of this recipe. It uses natural ingredients, most of which we had in our garden. Our family doesn't enjoy a lot of heat in our dishes so I left out the jalapeños and the spiciness was just perfect for us; very mild. I love how the pressure cooker cooks the meat to melt-in-your-mouth tender. If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can still make this delicious dish on the stove. Just follow the instructions, but let it simmer for 2-3 hours uncovered or until the pork is fork tender. 

We've been enjoying the leftovers now for several meals, in various forms. Yum. This would also be a great dish to make and freeze half of for another quick meal later. 

Update 10/1/14: This is still one of our very most favorite dishes to make. I've made it in the crock pot and it works great (especially if you double the recipe and it gets too big for your pressure cooker). Just follow the instructions and instead of cooking in the pressure cooker, cook in a crock pot on low for 6-8 hours. If it is too runny at this point, you can cook it on the stove during the last 30 minutes or so.  I love to freeze and reheat the leftovers for a quick and easy meal later.  

Chili Verde {Pressure Cooker Recipe}

Printable Recipe

*Serves 8-10

INGREDIENTS:

1-1/2 lbs. tomatillos

5 garlic cloves, not peeled

2 Anaheim Chile peppers

2 Jalapeños, seeded and chopped (optional)

1 bunch cilantro leaves, cleaned and chopped

3-1/2 to 4 lbs. boneless sirloin pork roast, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1 to 2-inch cubes

Salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Olive oil

2 yellow onions, chopped

3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

2 Tbsp. of chopped fresh oregano or 1 Tbsp. dried oregano

2-1/2 Cups chicken stock

Pinch of ground cloves

Grated cheddar cheese, for serving

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat broiler. Remove papery husks from tomatillos and rinse well. Cut in half and place cut side down, along with 5 unpeeled garlic cloves on a foil-lined baking sheet. Wearing gloves, slice Anaheim chile peppers in half and remove seeds and ribs. Place cut side down on the baking sheet along with the tomatillos and garlic cloves. Place baking sheet under a broiler for 5-10 minutes or until skin is lightly blackened. Remove from oven and let cool enough to handle.

Place roasted tomatillos, skins included, into blender. Remove the roasted garlic cloves from their skins and add them to the blender. Remove blackened skin from Anaheim peppers and place in the blender. Add chopped Jalapeño peppers and cilantro. Pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed.

Heat olive oil in pressure cooker on "brown" or "simmer" setting (if you are using a stove-top cooker, heat it on medium to medium-high heat). Season the pork cubes generously with salt and pepper. Brown pork chunks well on all sides. Work in batches so that the pork is not crowded and can brown well, adding more olive oil as needed. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, lift pork out of pressure cooker and place in bowl, set aside. Repeat until all pork chunks are browned.

Pour off excess fat, anything beyond a tablespoon, and place chopped onions and garlic in the pressure cooker and cook, stirring occasionally until limp, about 5 minutes. Then add the pork back to the pan along with the oregano, and the tomatillo Chile Verde sauce. Add the chicken stock and a pinch of ground cloves. Add a little salt and pepper (not too much as more can be added later to taste). Lock lid of pressure cooker and pressure on high pressure for 30 minutes. Release pressure naturally and remove the lid. Then reheat Chile Verde to a simmer and simmer for about 30 minutes until sauce has thickened. Taste and add more salt and pepper to taste.

Serve immediately or keep warm until ready to serve. This dish can be served in a bowl topped with grated cheddar cheese and tortilla chips or warm tortillas on the side. We also love to use the leftover meat in burritos, enchiladas, or in a taco salad. This cilantro lime brown rice and these refried beans work great for side dishes. Enjoy!

*Recipe adapted from simplyrecipes.com, made it into a pressure cooker recipe, changed a few ingredients and directions.