I had some leftover tamales that I stored in my freezer a week or so ago, and I was wanting something warm to pair them with that wasn't chili. I'm a little burned out on beans lately. Gasp! No, no. Just meat and vegetables here. Somewhere in the midst of racking my brain, I remembered this Mexican style stew that they serve up at one of the favorite local Mexican places here in Austin. Pork green chile verde.
The name is debatable. It's called 'green chile verde' because it's made with green chiles. Not because it comes out green in the end result. Generally, pork chile verde is a slow simmered pork that's stewed in hatch green chiles.
I basically lightened this dish up by using a leaner cut of meat than what you'll usually find in this stew; a pork tenderloin. By slow cooking the meat in the crock pot, you end up with a perfectly flavorful, juicy, and tender meaty stew. I also threw a lot of bold flavored vegetables in there, onion, tomato, and green chiles. Usually this stew is served over rice or with some flour tortillas, but I already had these tamales they I was wanting to use up, so that's what I did!
This stew really couldn't have turned out much better, and I loved the fact that it was so super easy to toss together. Just sear the meat off and toss everything into the crock pot. Set it and forget it! When you return hours later, you'll have a perfectly prepared dinner ready and waiting for you.
My only regret was that I hadn't any quest fresco or avocado to add into this stew, but I can honestly say that I didn't entirely miss either thing once I had a nice big spoonful of this in my mouth.
I paired my stew with a tamale and a sprinkle of green onion and fresh cilantro.
I would have had a lime wedge there too but I somehow managed to forget that I had purchased a lime for that very reason. Erf!
Crock Pot Pork Chile Verde
TheSkinnyFork.com
The Skinny:
Servings: 8 • Size: About 1 1/2 Cup • Calories: 165 • Fat: 4 g • Carb: 6 g • Fiber: 2 g • Protein: 25 g • Sugar: 2 g • Sodium: 198 mg
Ingredients:
2 Lb. Pork Tenderloin, Trimmed of Fat & Cubed
2 Tbsp. Whole Wheat White Flour
1 (10 Oz) Can Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles (RoTel)
1 (7 Oz. Can) Chopped Green Chiles
1 Medium White Onion, Chopped
1/2 C. Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth
1 Jalapeno, Stemmed-Seeded & Chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, Minced
1 Tbsp. Ground Cumin
1/2 Tsp. Dried Oregano
1 Dried Bayleaf
Salt & Pepper to Taste
Optional Garnishes:
Diced Green Onions, Fresh Cilantro, Lime Wedge, Crumbled Queso Fresco, Sliced Avocado or Guacamole, Sliced Pickled Jalapeños
Directions:
Toss the pork into a large non-stick skillet and season lightly with salt and pepper.
Cook over high heat under the edges are starting to brown.
Sprinkle the flour over the top of the pork and continue to cook for another 30 seconds or so before removing from the heat.
Toss the pork into the crock pot, along with the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-6 hours.
It doesn't hurt it to sit and cook longer, since the longer it cooks the more tender the pork will become.
Once done, serve right away with a garnish of choice and enjoy!
Today I garnished mine with diced green onions and some fresh cilantro.
I served mine along with a cheese and hatch green chile tamale. Yummy!
