Pork in Tomatillo Sauce
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.
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
DIRECTIONS:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 1/2 of a medium sized white onion
- 3 garlic cloves unpeeled
- 1/2 teaspoon of Mexican Oregano
- 1/2 inch of a cinnamon stick optional
- 2 cloves optional
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Cilantro leaves to garnish optional
-
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.
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.
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,
this looks great think I may make it tomorrow
Me encanta este plato!
Qué delicia Mely y si es en taquitos, mejor!
Saludos y feliz inicio de año!
can you come make it for me 🙂 I'm salivating
Hello Tracy Ann,
And where do you live? You never know… 🙂
Wow this looks amazing and so simple I will definently be putting this beautiful recipe to the test! Thanks so much for sharing!
Hello Marsha,
I hope you enjoy it and add it your personal touch!
Happy cooking!
Mely
Mely…I am so glad I found your Blog. My husband is from D.F. and I am from the Atlanta Ga area. Your recipes are just what he craves and you make them sooo easy to follow! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge! I'm already hooked!
Thank you so much for this blog. This is my go-to for great Mexican recipes!
Hello Bob Dobbs,
You are very welcomed.
Thank you for stopping by.
Mely
I wonder how this would come out in a crock pot (slow cooker)?
I made it yesterday in a crock pot it was amazing. I cooked on low for 5hrs
I am so happy I found this blog! I made my chile verde sauce and it came out just delicious. The pork loin meat is very tender.
The step by step directions are very helpul, thank you so much for a very concise blog I can understand.
Hello,
I'm so glad it has been of help for you.
Regards,
Mely
This is the traditional version I have been looking for!!! Thank You!!!
Update: I made it and it was delicious… Took leftovers to work and my coworkers thoroughly enjoyed it!!
Helo Joy,
I'm so glad you tried the recipe, and that you, and your coworkers enjoyed it.
Thank you for taking the time to write back.
Regards,
Mely
Hi mely, most recipes i see call for seeding the peppers after they are roasted. do you blend the peppers whole or remove seeds first? i'll be using one jalapeno and poblanos i have from the garden. not sure if the jalapeno seeds would be too hot?thanks.
Helo Amy,
When cooking with dried peppers they are seeded before roasted. Remove the seeds first. Now, when cooking with fresh peppers like serrano or jalapeños, only if you are not use to eat hot peppers remove the seeds. (We don't usually do that.) Now, for the poblano peppers, those seeds need to be removed after roasting the pepper whole.
Happy cooking!
Just wish to say, "thank you" for your wonderful mexican recipes. I have tried many of them and they are terrific. Again, thank you for them and your "blog."
Thank you! Ron Provencio, this is one of the many favorite dishes here at home. Enjoy!
My family loves this recipe!! Thank you so much. You are BY FAR my favorite go-to for finding authentic Mexican recipes. My husband is from Jalisco and loves everything that I make from this site.
Hello Kate Orozco,
Thank you fro visiting and trying the recipes. Saludos! 😉
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.
Hello Doc Moore,
Thank you for your comment, I'm sure many will find that helpful! Happy cooking!
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!
Hello Ether,
So glad to know that you enjoy your cooking creations!
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 : )
Hello Lulu,
You add them in step number four to mix well with the tomatillo. Happy cooking!
Hello Mely,
After roasting do you peel of the blackened parts of the vegetables before you purée them?
Thank you.
Hello yx l,
You leave those on since those parts will add a lot of flavor to the final dish.
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.
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
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! 👏🏽
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
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.