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Herdez Pork Chops with Salsa Verde
Guisado de puerco verde, a spicy pork stew in tomatillo sauce, is a popular Mexican dish which has won plenty of fans in the US, Canada and elsewhere as well. However, you do not always feel like stew, especially in the summer, so what are you to do when you want the hearty flavor of a guisado without the soupy consistency?
The answer is to serve it as more of a solid dish, with the sauce being cooked down to a very thick consistency so that it is mostly absorbed by the pork. The resulting dish can be shredded for tacos or burritos or served with rice or on its own with a salad on the side for a meal.
The traditional recipe takes some time to cook, but in this quicker, easier version, the pork shoulder is replaced with cooked pork chops - and in fact, it makes a great way to use up leftover pork chops!
Puerco En Salsa Verde
Ingredients -
2 lbs cooked pork chops
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ tomatillos, husked and diced
1 (7 ounce) can diced green chili peppers
2 fresh jalapeno peppers, sliced
½ cup fresh chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
½ cup water
Chopped cilantro, lime wedges and sliced radishes, for serving
Preparation:
Start by sautéing the onions and garlic over medium heat until they begin to turn translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the chilies, jalapeno, cilantro, tomatillos, and spices.
Add the water and simmer for about 20 minutes uncovered, or until the sauce has become very thick and the pork chops are heated through and tender.
Shred the pork chops or serve them whole, topped with a little of the sauce and some chopped cilantro, lime wedges and sliced radishes.
(Serves 4)
Photo Description:
This is a quick and easy variation on a slow cooked Mexican classic; while it cannot replicate all of the complex flavors which come from the traditional guisado de puerco verde's six to seven hour cooking time, it is still a great dish in its own right. If you have some leftover pork chops around, this is an ideal way to make "leftovers" into one of your family's favorite words. It is also more than good enough to justify picking up some pork chops just to make this recipe - and it can tide you over until you have the time to make the more labor intensive version of this classic recipe.
