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You are here: Home » Salsas

Pork in Tomatillo Sauce

Published: Jan 15, 2014 · Updated: Jan 29, 2021 by Mely Martínez

JUMP TO RECIPE

I am so happy to share this recipe with you since it’s a classic recipe in many homes and one that will have you wiping your plate with a tortilla and leaving it squeaky clean. Of course, that’s only if you love green sauce and pork.

This meal is known as “Entomatado”, meaning something made with tomatoes or tomatillos; others may know it as “Pork in Green Sauce” or even as “Chile Verde” in some areas of the State of Guerrero in the West Coast. The State of Guerrero is home to the famous Port of Acapulco.

Pork in Tomatillo Sauce

Pork in Tomatillo Sauce | Puerco Entomatado


One of the most common changes to this recipe is the type of peppers used for the sauce. If you go south to the Peninsula of Yucatan, the sauce will include their own chile verde, a very mild pepper that is widely available in that area. In central Mexico or the East Coast it will be the serrano or jalapeño peppers, and in the northern states is where the Chile Verde grows: a long, mildly hot pepper that’s also used in the southern states of the USA and known there as the Anaheim pepper. There is also the sauce that includes Chipotle peppers, they could be the dried form or the canned version, also a very popular combination.

So here’s the recipe, you can decide which peppers to use depending on your taste and what’s available in your area.

How to make Pork in Tomatillo Sauce

JUMP TO FULL INSTRUCTIONS

Tomatillos

DIRECTIONS:

Pork in Tomatillo Sauce | Instructions step by step
  • Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large pot, add the pork meat seasoned with salt and pepper, plus the bay leaf, and cook. Stir frequently to brown the pieces of meat on all sides. About 6-8  minutes. (Please check the ingredients list below)
  • Add 1 cup of water and reduce heat to simmer (covered) for about 20 minutes.
Pork in Tomatillo Sauce | Instructions step by step, quick and easy recipe
  • While the meat is cooking, roast the tomatillos, peppers, onion, and garlic on an ungreased griddle over medium heat. Toss to evenly roast them. About 12-15 minutes. The garlic will take less time, so be sure to remove promptly. Remove the tomatillos, peppers, and garlic once they’re soft and blackened, and place in a bowl covered with aluminum foil to cool for 3-5 minutes. Peel garlic cloves. If you are adding the cinnamon and cloves, slightly toast them too, they will take just a few seconds.
  • Place the roasted tomatillos, peppers, garlic, onion, cinnamon, cloves, oregano, and the released juices into blender or food processor. Puree until you have a chunky mixture.
Pork in Tomatillo Sauce | Mexican Recipes
  • Add the tomatillo mixture to the pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring frequently until meat is tender. This step will take about 45 minutes or more.

Serve warm with rice or corn tortillas and garnish with chopped cilantro or cilantro leaves.

Some of the many recipes using Tomatillos are: Chicharron in Salsa verde, Chicken Tamales in green sauce, Enchiladas verdes and Avocado Salsa.

¡Buen provecho!

Mely,

Pork in tomatillo sauce

Mely Martínez
Pork in Tomatillo Sauce, One of the most common changes to this recipe is the type of peppers used for the sauce. If you go south to the Peninsula of Yucatan, the sauce will include their own chile verde, a very mild pepper that is widely available in that area. Surprise your family today!
4.84 from 18 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 45 mins
Total Time 1 hr
Course Pork, Salsas
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 8
Calories 236 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Tbs. of lard or vegetable oil
  • 1 Lb. of Pork ribs cut into small chunks
  • 1 Lb. of Pork loin or butt cut into chunks
  • 1 cup of water
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 1 Lb. of Tomatillos
  • 4 Serrano Peppers Read note above about substitutions
  • ½ of a medium sized white onion
  • 3 garlic cloves unpeeled
  • ½ teaspoon of Mexican Oregano
  • ½ inch of a cinnamon stick optional
  • 2 cloves optional
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Cilantro leaves to garnish optional

Instructions
 

  • Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large pot, add the pork meat seasoned with salt and pepper, plus the bay leaf, and cook. Stir frequently to brown the pieces of meat on all sides. About 6-8 minutes.
  • Add 1 cup of water and reduce heat to simmer (covered) for about 20 minutes.
  • While the meat is cooking, roast the tomatillos, peppers, onion and garlic on an ungreased griddle over medium heat. Toss to evenly roast them. About 12-15 minutes. The garlic will take less time, so be sure to remove promptly. Remove the tomatillos, peppers and garlic once they’re soft and blackened, and place in a bowl covered with aluminum foil to cool for 3-5 minutes. Peel garlic cloves. If you are adding the cinnamon and cloves, slightly toast them too, they will take just a few seconds.
  • Place the roasted tomatillos, peppers, garlic, onion, cinnamon, cloves, oregano and the released juices into blender or food processor. Puree until you have a chunky mixture.
  • Add the tomatillo mixture to the pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring frequently until meat is tender. This step will take about 45 minutes or more.

Serve warm with rice or corn tortillas and garnish with chopped cilantro or cilantro leaves.

    Notes

    1. As mentioned above, the choice of peppers will vary according to what is available and to your personal taste.
    2. Some peppers are hotter than others, the amount given is not a rule of thumb, so adjust according to how spicy you want your dish to be.
    3. This dish can also be made using chicken or beef as in the Beef Short Ribs recipe HERE.
    4. You can also add vegetables like chopped green beans, chayotes, nopales, zucchinni, etc. I added chopped squash.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 236kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 22gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 76mgSodium: 76mgPotassium: 548mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 95IUVitamin C: 8.8mgCalcium: 30mgIron: 1.6mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Gabriela J.

      January 28, 2021 at 5:02 pm

      5 stars
      Mely,
      You never disappoint! This dish was so simple and delicious served it with white rice, black beans, corn tortillas with cilantro and white onion for garnish.

      Reply
      • Mely Martínez

        January 28, 2021 at 5:31 pm

        Hello Gabriela,
        Wow, I bet with all those side dishes the Pork in Tomatillo meals was a success in your home. Thank you for trying the recipe.

        Reply
    2. James Wise

      September 26, 2020 at 4:44 pm

      5 stars
      This is a delicious dish- I made it with Highlander peppers 2 was ago and a mix of Poblano,Highlander and Serrano peppers today. Outstanding! Thank you.

      Reply
    3. Rich

      March 26, 2020 at 9:59 am

      5 stars
      This is a wonderful recipe! I’ve made it at least three times and we just love it. So simple, but so good.
      Thank you for posting it!

      Reply
    4. Blanche

      September 30, 2019 at 2:34 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is EXCELLENTE!! I'd never made this before so I was very nervous but it tasted just the way my abuelita made it. It's WONDERFUL. MUCHISIMAS GRACIAS!!

      Reply
      • mmartinez

        October 01, 2019 at 10:28 am

        Hello Blanche,
        Thank you for trying the recipe. I'm so glad to know you like it and that it brought back happy memories.

        Reply
    5. Mariela Garcia

      February 11, 2019 at 8:16 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious! This will be my go to recipe for Chile Verde.

      Reply
    6. Martha

      December 28, 2018 at 7:24 am

      5 stars
      I made this for family gathering pot luck and it was the hit. Everyone loved it and were licking their fingers. I did add slices (rajas) of roasted chile poblano. It was delicious and I recommend this recipe.

      Reply
      • mmartinez

        December 28, 2018 at 9:45 am

        Hello, Martha
        Thank you for trying the Pork in tomatillo recipe. I'm so glad you and your family like.

        Reply
    7. Steve

      December 19, 2017 at 6:08 pm

      I was thinking of making tamales with this pork. When you say pork ribs do you mean those boneless ribs or should I use spare or baby back ribs. Thanks for all of the recipes

      Reply
      • mmartinez

        December 19, 2017 at 8:51 pm

        Hello Steve,
        This dish can be done with spare or baby back ribs, and even with pork tenderloin and pork shoulder meat cut into cubes.

        Reply
    8. Nessa T

      September 16, 2017 at 12:49 am

      5 stars
      This is on my stove as I write this and I am so excited! I taste tested the chile verde after blending it and it is spicy! I added diced potatoes with the sauce at the end. I can't wait to eat it. I just hope it isn't too hot for my son. Thanks so much for all your recipes! 👏🏽

      Reply
    9. OVANDO

      June 18, 2017 at 12:00 am

      The commercial brands have a lot of vinegar, which in my opinion ruins the true flavor, but then again I'm a native son and love the puro recipe

      Reply
    10. kiki

      May 02, 2017 at 10:16 pm

      Hi, I am glad you are posting these great recipes. My spouse who is Mexican can cook butt I need to learn and he isn't a great teacher, so this is great. He makes his version of this recipe but I am trying to follow yours with some things left out (optional stuff). Hope he likes it, I don't have tomatillos but I'm improvising with salsa verde. Thanks again.

      Reply
    11. yx l

      February 15, 2017 at 6:49 pm

      Hello Mely,
      After roasting do you peel of the blackened parts of the vegetables before you purée them?
      Thank you.

      Reply
      • mmartinez

        February 15, 2017 at 8:35 pm

        Hello yx l,
        You leave those on since those parts will add a lot of flavor to the final dish.

        Reply
    12. Lulu's clues

      October 31, 2016 at 5:13 pm

      Do you put the cloves and cinnamon stick in a cheese cloth or just throw them in and hope to find them later? They definitely sound like a nice addition : )

      Reply
      • mmartinez

        October 31, 2016 at 6:39 pm

        Hello Lulu,

        You add them in step number four to mix well with the tomatillo. Happy cooking!

        Reply
    13. Ether ealist

      October 22, 2016 at 2:55 am

      I just made this to night. It was INCREDIBLE. I also made it with your Mexican Rice recipe.

      Seriously the best Mexican food I've ever had. Thank you so much!

      Reply
      • mmartinez

        October 24, 2016 at 3:38 pm

        Hello Ether,

        So glad to know that you enjoy your cooking creations!

        Reply
    14. Doc Moore

      September 20, 2016 at 9:07 am

      This recipe sounds perfect. Just a note on the cloves. It says "optional", but really a touch of cloves in this does magic. Don't go crazy...just a pinch of ground cloves or one or two whole ones. Amazing what it does to the flavor. I love this website.

      Reply
      • mmartinez

        September 20, 2016 at 3:55 pm

        Hello Doc Moore,

        Thank you for your comment, I'm sure many will find that helpful! Happy cooking!

        Reply
    15. mmartinez

      February 17, 2016 at 5:44 pm

      Hello Kate Orozco,

      Thank you fro visiting and trying the recipes. Saludos! 😉

      Reply
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    Mexico in my kitchen | Mely Martinez

    Hi, I'm Mely Martinez, a former Mexican school teacher, home cook, and food blogger. I moved to the United States about ten years ago, after living in Mexico my whole life. Now I love to share home-style recipes for authentic Mexican food.

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