Pork Chile Verde Recipe

Craving Mexican food? Learn how to make your own chile verde using a healthier-than-dining-out version. Your house will smell amazing and your family (or lucky friends!) will thank you.

Chile Verde with pork, rice and tortillas, recipe

Yield: 6 1¼ cup servings with tortillas

Preparation Time: 60 minutes

Ingredients:

1 lb. pork tenderloin trimmed of fat and cut into 1‑inch pieces

non-aerosol cooking spray

¼ cup plus 2 tbsp. whole wheat or unbleached flour, divided

2 medium onions, chopped

2 to 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced or pressed

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. dried oregano

½ tsp. granulated garlic powder

½ tsp. salt 

5 large, fresh roasted Anaheim or Poblano chilies, peeled, seeded, deveined, and chopped or 2 6-oz. cans

1 to 2 small fresh tomatillos, husked and finely chopped – optional

1 14.5‑oz. can chopped tomatoes or 2 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped

2 ½ to 3 cups water

1 tbsp. low-sodium bouillon

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Fresh ground chili powder to taste – optional

6 fat-free or low-fat flour tortillas made without hydrogenated vegetable oil or lard

¾ cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar and/or Monterey Jack cheese

6 tbsp. fat-free sour cream

1. Toss pork with 2 tbsp. flour. Spray a 4 to 6‑quart Dutch oven or pan with cooking spray and preheat on medium. Add pork to pan and cook, turning often until flour has left a golden-brown glaze on pan’s surface.

2. Reduce heat to low, continue to cook for 3 minutes or until moisture from meat starts to lift browned flour off the pan’s surface. Remove pork from pan and set aside.

3. Increase heat to medium, add onions and garlic to pan. Sauté onions until soft and browned from deglazing pan, about 5 minutes. Add small amounts of water, if necessary, to aid in the deglazing process and keep onions from drying out. Add salt, cumin, and oregano to onions, sauté until spices are fragrant, 2 minutes.

4. Add tomatoes and chilies to pan, stir in ¼ cup flour a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Slowly stir in water and bouillon. Stirring frequently, increase heat to medium‑high and bring to gentle boil. Return pork to pan and reduce heat to low. Simmer covered for 30 minutes.

5. Uncover pan and increase heat to medium. Stirring often, cook at a high simmer 20 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat and serve with 1 cup with 1 tortilla. If desired top each bowl or burrito with 2 tablespoons shredded cheese and 1 tablespoon sour-cream.   

Nutritional Information: Six 1¼ cup servings with 1 flour tortilla at 320 Calories; 4g Fat; 47g carbohydrate; 4 Fiber; 23g protein; 49mg cholesterol; 700mg sodium

Nutritional Information with cheese and sour cream: 380 calories; 7g Fat; 48 grams carbohydrate; 4g fiber; 27g protein; 70mg cholesterol; 800mg sodium  

Nutritional Note: Vegetables vary in the amount of water they contain. Sautéing them at lower heats prevents their natural moisture from evaporating too quickly, allowing them to cook in their own juices, eliminating the need for added fats to prevent them from sticking or burning.

Related: Quick and Easy Restaurant-Style Salsa

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