Green Chile Pork Stew Recipe

I made a Green Chile Pozole that gives you fork-tender pork, pillowy hominy, and a jalapeño-green broth that refuses to be ignored.

I’m obsessed with Green Chile Pozole because it slaps the way restaurant bowls do but better at home. I love how tender pork shoulder breaks apart into the broth, how the green broth brings smoky heat without being try-hard, and how hominy pops like little flavor bombs.

It’s loud, bright, and messy in the best way. I want herbal brightness and crunchy garnishes on top.

This green pozole soup is exactly the kind of thing I want when I need food that’s serious about flavor and not pretending to be fancy. I refuse to share it.

I will eat it.

Ingredients

• Pork shoulder: hearty protein, gives the stew its meaty soul.
• Kosher salt: brings out flavors, makes everything pop.
• Black pepper: a little bite, keeps it interesting.
• Neutral oil: helps brown the pork, adds mild richness.
• Yellow onion: sweet base note, softens as it cooks.
• Garlic cloves: sharp aroma, cozy garlicky warmth.
• Tomatillos: tangy brightness, cuts through the richness.
• Poblano chiles: smoky mild heat, deep peppery flavor.
• Anaheim option: milder pepper, still gives gentle warmth.
• Jalapeños or serranos: adjustable heat, brings the kick.
• Cilantro bunch: herbaceous freshness, stems add nice depth.
• Ground cumin: earthy warmth, classic Mexican touch.
• Mexican oregano: herbal, slightly citrusy background note.
• Bay leaf: low-key aromatics, rounds out the broth.
• Chicken or pork stock: savory body, keeps it soupy.
• Hominy: chewy corn pockets, adds texture and heartiness.
• Lime juice: bright acid, wakes up the whole bowl.
• Shredded cabbage: crunchy topping, cool contrast.
• Sliced radishes: peppery crunch, pretty garnish.
• Diced white onion and cilantro: sharp, fresh finishing touches.
• Sliced avocado and lime wedges: creamy and tangy finish.

Ingredient Quantities

• 3 pounds pork shoulder (about 1.4 kg), bone-in or boneless, trimmed a bit
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or neutral oil
• 1 large yellow onion, quartered
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 1/2 pounds tomatillos, husked and rinsed
• 3 to 4 poblano chiles, roasted and skins mostly removed (use anaheim if poblanos not available)
• 2 to 3 jalapeños or serranos, stemmed (use less if you dont like it spicy)
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves and stems kept together
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 cups low sodium chicken or pork stock
• 2 (15 ounce) cans hominy, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• Garnishes as desired: shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, diced white onion, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, sliced avocado

How to Make this

1. Pat the pork shoulder dry, cut into large chunks if whole, then season with 2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium high heat, brown the pork in batches until well caramelized on all sides, remove and set aside.

3. Add the quartered onion and whole garlic cloves to the pot and cook until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes, scraping up browned bits from the bottom.

4. While onion cooks, roast the poblano chiles (or anaheim) over a gas flame or under the broiler until blistered, then steam in a bowl covered with plastic or a towel and peel most of the skins; remove stems and seeds if you want less heat. Also roast or char the tomatillos briefly if you like sweeter flavor.

5. In a blender, combine the roasted poblanos, tomatillos, 2 to 3 stemmed jalapeños or serranos (adjust for heat), the bunch of cilantro including stems, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, and 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano; blend with a splash of stock until very smooth.

6. Return the browned pork to the pot with the softened onion and garlic, pour in the green chile puree, add 1 bay leaf, then pour 6 cups low sodium chicken or pork stock to cover. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer gently until pork is fork tender, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

7. When pork is tender, remove it, shred with two forks, discard any bones if used, then return shredded pork to the pot. Add the drained and rinsed hominy and simmer another 15 to 20 minutes so flavors marry.

8. Stir in 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed, remove bay leaf.

9. Ladle the pozole into bowls and offer garnishes: shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, diced white onion, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, and sliced avocado so everyone can top their bowl how they like.

10. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for 3 to 4 days and the flavor often improves overnight; reheat gently on the stove, add a splash of stock or water if it seems too thick.

Equipment Needed

1. Large Dutch oven or heavy pot
2. Blender or high speed food processor
3. Chef’s knife and cutting board
4. Tongs and a large slotted spoon
5. Measuring spoons and measuring cup
6. Colander or strainer (for hominy and rinsing)
7. Two forks for shredding the pork
8. Large bowl or plate (to rest browned pork)
9. Ladle and soup bowls for serving

FAQ

Green Chile Pork Stew Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Pork shoulder (3 pounds) — use boneless beef chuck or stew meat if you don’t have pork; it gets tender the same way and soaks up the green chile flavor well.
• Tomatillos (1 1/2 pounds) — swap in an equal weight of green tomatoes or a mix of green tomatoes and a few green bell peppers for body when tomatillos arent available.
• Poblano chiles (3 to 4) — use roasted anaheim or cubanelles, or even a few canned green chiles for convenience, just taste for heat.
• Hominy (2 cans) — substitute drained canned white or yellow corn kernels, or cooked dried hominy if you prefer a chewier texture.

Pro Tips

– Brown the pork well and don’t rush it. Those dark crusty bits are flavor gold, so do it in batches so the pot stays hot and they form instead of steaming the meat.

– Roast the poblanos and char the tomatillos more than you think you need to. The smokiness really wakes up the stew. After blistering the peppers, let them steam in a bowl so the skins peel off easier; peel mostly, not obsessively, a little char bits are great.

– Save and skim the cooking liquid. Once the pork is done, fish out a cup of the braising liquid before shredding and stir it back in as needed. It helps loosen the pozole and adds depth without over-salting. If there’s too much fat, skim the top with a ladle or chill and remove the hardened fat.

– Be careful with the cilantro stems and chiles in the blender. Stems add good flavor but too many big stems can make the sauce bitter, and seeds from jalapeños/serranos add heat fast. Blend with a splash of stock so the texture stays silky, then taste and adjust acid and salt at the end.

Green Chile Pork Stew Recipe

Recipe by Noel Matthews

0.0 from 0 votes

I made a Green Chile Pozole that gives you fork-tender pork, pillowy hominy, and a jalapeño-green broth that refuses to be ignored.

Pin

Servings

8

servings

Calories

650

kcal

Equipment: 1. Large Dutch oven or heavy pot
2. Blender or high speed food processor
3. Chef’s knife and cutting board
4. Tongs and a large slotted spoon
5. Measuring spoons and measuring cup
6. Colander or strainer (for hominy and rinsing)
7. Two forks for shredding the pork
8. Large bowl or plate (to rest browned pork)
9. Ladle and soup bowls for serving

Ingredients

• 3 pounds pork shoulder (about 1.4 kg), bone-in or boneless, trimmed a bit

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or neutral oil

• 1 large yellow onion, quartered

• 4 garlic cloves, peeled

• 1 1/2 pounds tomatillos, husked and rinsed

• 3 to 4 poblano chiles, roasted and skins mostly removed (use anaheim if poblanos not available)

• 2 to 3 jalapeños or serranos, stemmed (use less if you dont like it spicy)

• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves and stems kept together

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano

• 1 bay leaf

• 6 cups low sodium chicken or pork stock

• 2 (15 ounce) cans hominy, drained and rinsed

• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

• Garnishes as desired: shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, diced white onion, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, sliced avocado

Directions

• Pat the pork shoulder dry, cut into large chunks if whole, then season with 2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper.
• Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium high heat, brown the pork in batches until well caramelized on all sides, remove and set aside.
• Add the quartered onion and whole garlic cloves to the pot and cook until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes, scraping up browned bits from the bottom.
• While onion cooks, roast the poblano chiles (or anaheim) over a gas flame or under the broiler until blistered, then steam in a bowl covered with plastic or a towel and peel most of the skins; remove stems and seeds if you want less heat. Also roast or char the tomatillos briefly if you like sweeter flavor.
• In a blender, combine the roasted poblanos, tomatillos, 2 to 3 stemmed jalapeños or serranos (adjust for heat), the bunch of cilantro including stems, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, and 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano; blend with a splash of stock until very smooth.
• Return the browned pork to the pot with the softened onion and garlic, pour in the green chile puree, add 1 bay leaf, then pour 6 cups low sodium chicken or pork stock to cover. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer gently until pork is fork tender, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• When pork is tender, remove it, shred with two forks, discard any bones if used, then return shredded pork to the pot. Add the drained and rinsed hominy and simmer another 15 to 20 minutes so flavors marry.
• Stir in 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed, remove bay leaf.
• Ladle the pozole into bowls and offer garnishes: shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, diced white onion, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, and sliced avocado so everyone can top their bowl how they like.
• Leftovers keep well in the fridge for 3 to 4 days and the flavor often improves overnight; reheat gently on the stove, add a splash of stock or water if it seems too thick.

Notes

• Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.

Nutrition Facts

• Serving Size: 553g
• Total number of serves: 8
• Calories: 650kcal
• Fat: 35g
• Saturated Fat: 12g
• Trans Fat: 0.5g
• Polyunsaturated: 6g
• Monounsaturated: 15g
• Cholesterol: 120mg
• Sodium: 700mg
• Potassium: 900mg
• Carbohydrates: 40g
• Fiber: 6g
• Sugar: 6g
• Protein: 45g
• Vitamin A: 1500IU
• Vitamin C: 30mg
• Calcium: 80mg
• Iron: 3.5mg