I like dishes that take me out of my comfort zone, and this is certainly one of them. I wanted a big batch meal that would be easy to make and good for leftovers. Chili is the obvious choice, but I wanted something new! That’s where chili verde comes in. Here I go with one of the cool kitchen tools that you think you don’t need… you’re wrong!

The pressure cooker is magic! It turns a bunch of stuff dumped into a pot into a masterpiece in 30 minutes or less! The interesting part of this recipe? The ingredients. I had never worked with tomatillos (Mexican husk tomatoes) or Cubanillo peppers before, but now I’m hooked!

Here they are below (along with our trusty poblano and jalapeno buddies).

The tomatillos are just so fresh and bright that they really liven up something typically heavy like chili. If you can’t find them, you could also use green tomatoes.

The peppers and tomatillos are so beautiful and green once you get them all chopped up and mixed together!

After you take care of your veggies, you need to prepare your meat. What’s so awesome about this chili is that you can eat it like a chunky soup or you can spoon it onto tortillas, garnish with lime and cheese, and eat it in taco form. It is SO good, and the pork just falls apart when you touch it. Yum! Season the pork well, and that seasoned pork flavor really permeates throughout the chili.

A good sear locks in the flavor before the “slow” cooking begins.

Then it’s everybody in the pot! Before:

After:

Remove the pork. Add the not-so-secret ingredient – fish sauce. Because fish sauce makes everything better. Add cilantro. NO. This is where my version is different. I HATE CILANTRO. I did some Googling, and I found that Thai basil is a great substitute. Of course, the store didn’t have any except for in the form of this plant, so look, I have a new pet!

I digress. Add whatever herb you don’t think is gross, then blend your base!

Pork goes back in, and serve it up! The flavors are SO intense and so perfect that this won’t need to be seasoned after cooking. It has a spicy kick and a rich complexity that really wows you after its ready in only HALF AN HOUR. #winning

Pork Chili Verde

This recipe is inspired by Serious Eats’ Pork Chili Verde, which can be found here: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2017/03/easy-pressure-cooker-pork-chile-verde-recipe.html

Ingredients:

4 lbs boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2-4 inch chunks

4 tomatillos, husks removed, quartered

2 poblano peppers, roughly chopped, seeds and stems removed

2 Cubanillo peppers, roughly chopped, seeds and stems removed

2 jalapeno chilies, roughly chopped, stems discarded

1 medium white onion, roughly chopped

8 cloves of garlic, peeled

1 tbs ground cumin

1/2 cup Thai basil leaves

1 tbs Asian fish sauce

Kosher salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

Directions:

1. Season the pork chunks with salt and pepper.
2. Sear the pork chunks in batches (do not overcrowd) in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned but not cooked through.
3. Add the pork, tomatillos, peppers, onion, garlic cloves, cumin, and a big pinch of salt to the pressure cooker, turn the cooker on high, and allow to cook until you hear sizzling.
4. Seal the pressure cooker, bring to high pressure, and cook for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, allow the pressure to naturally release itself, then remove the lid.
5. Remove the pork chunks from the cooker with a pair of tongs and set aside. Add the Thai basil and the fish sauce to the cooker.
6. Blend the contents of the cooker with an immersion blender until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then return the pork to the cooker. Gently stir.
7. Serve with corn tortillas, lime wedges, and crumbled queso fresco if desired.