← Nouns Cooking · Mexican

Ingredients

• 1 kg pork shoulder or meaty pork ribs, cut into 4 cm pieces
• ½ white onion
• 2 cloves Garlic, unpeeled
• 1 Bay leaves
• 1½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 500 g Potato, peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
• 500 g Tomatillos, husked and rinsed
• 3 jalapeño or serrano chillies, stems removed
• ½ white onion, in chunks
• 1 clove Garlic, peeled
• 1 bunch coriander (about 30 g)
• ½ tsp Cumin seeds

Method

1. Put the pork, onion half, unpeeled garlic, bay leaf and salt in a pot with water to cover. Simmer, partly covered, for 45–50 min, skimming the foam, until the pork is almost tender. Lift out the meat and keep 500 ml of the broth.
2. Meanwhile, simmer the tomatillos and chillies in a separate pan of water for 8–10 min, until they turn olive green. Drain and blend with the onion chunks, peeled garlic, coriander, cumin seeds and 250 ml of the pork broth.
3. Heat the oil in a wide casserole over medium-high heat and fry the pork for 8–10 min, turning, until golden and some fat has rendered out.
4. Pour in the salsa and let it bubble hard for 3 min. Add the potatoes and enough of the remaining broth to just cover them.
5. Simmer, partly covered, for 20–25 min, until the potatoes are tender and the sauce has thickened. The pork should reach at least 70°C (160°F) and fall apart easily. Season and serve with rice, beans and tortillas.

Tips

• Pork ribs (costillas) give a richer sauce; chops cook faster, so add them for the last 15 min only.
• The broth left over makes a lovely base for soup.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Maricruz Avalos Mexican Food Journal