My Homemade Mexican Chili Verde (Updated) is slightly different from my original recipe in that it features two types of meat. I used a braised pork butt and seasoned ground pork to give two different textures to the chili, and it made a huge difference!

This dish requires some planning, and I took my time to complete it. During the 6 hours it took to cook the pork, you could get all the other components ready for the slow cooker. I didn’t, and I’m sure you don’t want to spend all kinds of hours in the kitchen where you can’t get anything else done. That said, I’m writing this recipe exactly the way I did it. Preparing all the components over 3 days. On the third day, everything was put into the slow cooker.

Your family and friends will be amazed at how good this dish is and the time and love you put into it. Of course, let’s not forget the copious amount of toppings that allow you to make each bowl your own masterpiece.

Prep Time: See notes
Inactive Prep Time: 24 hours
Slow Cooker Time for the Pork Butt: 6 1/2  hours (on the low setting)
Slow Cooker Time for the Mexican Chili Verde: 30 minutes (on the high setting)
Total Time: 1 day 7 hours
Yields: 12 servings
Equipment: chef’s knife, cutting board, meat-safe cutting board, 1 (10-cup) food processor, 2 rimmed baking sheet pans, 1 (12-inch) sautè pan, 7-quart slow cooker, cheesecloth, slotted spoon, mesh sieve, 3 large mixing bowls, 3 air-tight containers with tight-fitting lids, parchment paper, 1 (2-cup) liquid measuring cup, measuring spoons, dry measuring cups, kitchen twine

Ingredients for the Pork Butt and the Ground Pork:
1 (5 1/2 pound) bone-in pork butt (pork shoulder), fat cap scored
1/4 cup of Adobo seasoning
2 white Spanish onions, quartered
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cup of orange juice, no pulp
1/2 cup of chicken broth, unsalted
2 pounds of ground pork
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of Kosher salt
1 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
1 1/2 tablespoons of ground cumin
1 tablespoon of dried oregano

Refer to note #3:
2 1/2 cups of the pork stock from the slow cooker, strained and stored

Ingredients for the Chili Verde Pureè:
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 Spanish white onion, outer skin removed and roasted
9 Poblano peppers, roasted and seeded
1 whole garlic bulb, roasted
2 tablespoons of jalapeno (1 jalapeno), roasted, seeded, and diced, optional, refer to the notes
1 1/2 cups of fresh cilantro, including the stems
2 tablespoons of Agave nectar
2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons of kosher salt
2 teaspoons of fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup of the pork stock

Ingredients for the Slow Cooker:
2 (15.5-ounce) cans of Cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (12-ounce) package of thawed frozen Birds Eye Roasted Corn
2 1/2 cups of tomatillos, quartered (8 large tomatillos)
4 cloves of garlic. sliced
2 tablespoons of freshly grated  Mexican chocolate
1 cup of Poblano peppers (3 Poblano peppers), seeded and diced
1 1/2 cups of white Spanish onions (1 large onion), diced
2 tablespoons of jalapenos (1 jalapeno), seeded and diced, optional
1 tablespoon of kosher salt
1 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons of ground cumin
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
1 1/2 tablespoons of dried oregano
10 sprigs of cilantro, tied with kitchen twine
2 fresh bay leaves, substitute dried ones
1 cup of orange juice, no pulp
2 cups of the chili verde pureè
2 cups of the pork stock
2 pounds of cooked, seasoned ground pork, grease removed after cooking
3 pounds of cooked, seasoned pulled pork, onions removed

The “Kcal count” is configured by the “slow cooker ingredients” and does not include toppings.

Optional Toppings:
Sliced avocados
Shredded cheese, your choice
Pickled jalapenos or fresh sliced jalapenos
Red onion, finely diced
Sour cream
Tortilla strips or cantina-style chips
Cilantro leaves
Lime wedges

Instructions:
Starting 3 days before serving:
On a rimmed baking sheet, use a sharp knife to score the top fat cap of the pork in a criss-cross pattern. Sprinkle the Adobo seasoning all over the pork on all sides. Transfer to the fridge and leave uncovered for 24 hours.

2 days before serving:
Remove the dry-rubbed pork butt from the fridge and bring it to room temperature.

In the meantime, on a rimmed baking sheet, lay out the ground pork. Season with garlic powder, dried oregano, ground cumin, kosher salt, and fresh ground black pepper. Over medium-high heat, add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the sautè pan. Add the meat to the pan and cook the ground pork for 12-15 minutes or until no pink remains, and it is cooked through.

On a plate lined with paper towels, transfer the cooked, seasoned ground pork using a slotted spoon to the plate, draining off as much grease as possible. Once cooled, store in a container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate.

In the slow cooker, add two quartered onions and the sliced garlic. Place the seasoned pork butt on top. Pour in 1 cup of orange juice and the 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Set on the low setting to cook for 8 hours. After 6 hours, check to see if the pork is fork-tender and the bone releases easily from the meat. After the 6-hour mark, I checked the pork, and because of its size, it was ready to come out. Transfer the pork butt to a sheet pan. Remove the fat cap and any large pieces of onions; they’ve done their job. Shred the pork using two forks, and place it inside a large zip-lock bag and transfer to the fridge.

The pork drippings left in the slow cooker pour into a large bowl. Place the bowl in the fridge for 4 hours, allowing the fat to separate, solidify, and come to the top of the bowl. Next, using a spoon, discard all the fat from the top. Pour the pork stock through a mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth into a container. Place a tight-fitting lid on the pork stock, and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

On a rimmed baking sheet, arrange the Poblano peppers and the peeled onion. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the peppers and onion.

Next, season with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt and 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. Specifically for the garlic, cut off the top third of the bulb and place it onto a piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle a little olive oil, and season with a sprinkling of kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Wrap the garlic up tightly in the foil and place it on the sheet pan.

Roast poblano peppers, jalapeno (optional), and garlic for 20-25 minutes until the skin is blackened and blistered. After cooking, place them in a covered bowl for 10-15 minutes to steam, which makes the skin easy to peel. Open the garlic packet to make sure the garlic is lightly golden brown in color and soft. If it’s not, place the packet back in the oven and cook for another 10 minutes.

After 15 minutes, peel and seed the Poblano peppers. In a food processor, add the roasted peppers, all the roasted garlic cloves (squeeze them into the processor), the quartered roasted onion, and the roasted jalapeno (optional). Next, add the juice of 1 lime, the agave nectar, cilantro, the remaining kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and 1/2 cup of the strained refrigerated pork stock. Pulse until it’s purèed and there are no large lumps left. Refer to the above picture.

Day of serving:
Remove both meats and the strained pork juice from the fridge and bring them to room temperature.

Have all the vegetables prepped on a large plate and ready for the slow cooker. Have the beans, spices, roasted corn, bay leaves, meats, cilantro, orange juice, chicken broth, chile verde pureè, and pork drippings readily available. Set the rinsed black beans aside; they will get added last.

Set the slow cooker to the browning setting.

If your slow cooker does not have this setting, you’ll want to sautè the vegetables, sliced garlic, and the quartered tomatillos in a separate pan first before adding them to the slow cooker.

Add the diced vegetables, sliced garlic, bay leaves, and quartered tomatillos first. Sautè until soft, allowing them to get a little color. Add the ground cumin, dried oregano, garlic powder, kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, and the grated Mexican chocolate. Stir and cook for 5-7 minutes.

Add the ground pork and pulled pork to the slow cooker, 1 cup of orange juice, 2 cups of the chili verde mixture, and 2 cups of the pork stock. Finally, add the drained and rinsed black beans. Give everything a good stir to combine, and heat up on high until everything is hot, about 30 minutes.

Serve hot with your favorite toppings.

There you have it, my Homemade Mexican Chili Verde (Updated).

Notes:
1) For the best results, please read through the full post before beginning the recipe.

2) The “prep time”. This dish requires some planning, and I took my time to complete it. During the 6 1/2 hours it took to cook the pork, you could prepare all the other components for this recipe. I didn’t, and I’m sure you don’t want to spend all kinds of hours in the kitchen where you can’t get anything else done. That said, I’m writing this recipe exactly the way I did it. Preparing all the components over three days, everything was then put into the slow cooker on the third day.

3) Once the pork comes out of the slow cooker. Place the pork stock into a large bowl and let it cool until the fat has settled to the top. Remove as much fat as possible using a large spoon. Next, strain the stock through a mesh sieve using cheesecloth. Transfer to a container with a tight-fitting lid until needed.

4) In this dish, I left out the roasted and diced jalapenos because I was bringing this to an event. I did, however, set up a side of pickled jalapenos if you wanted to make your bowl of chili spicier. Refer to the pictures above to see how I set up all the toppings for this dish.

5) You can freeze cooked chili for 4 to 6 months for the best quality, though it remains safe to eat for a longer period. To ensure the best taste and to prevent freezer burn, use airtight containers or freezer bags. Cool the chili completely before freezing, and label the containers with the date.

6) The “Kcal count” is configured by the “slow cooker ingredients” and does not include toppings. Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through the online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.

https://lindalouhamel.com/2019/07/10/summer-time-flowers-and-herbs/

https://lindalouhamel.com/2014/07/10/homemade-mexican-chili-verde/