Homemade Chile Verde – Tender Pork Simmered in Fresh Tomatillo Sauce
There are few things that warm the kitchen — and the soul — quite like a big pot of homemade chile verde simmering on the stove. This recipe has become my absolute favorite for slow weekends or cozy dinners, and whole family will love it!
It’s hearty, flavorful, and full of that rustic comfort that only comes from cooking something low and slow. I love using fresh tomatillos, poblano peppers, and jalapeños for the perfect balance of smoky, tangy, and just the right amount of heat. We recently made with our homegrown pork, and fresh homemade flour tortillas, and OMG guys, it was a Grand Slam! I also something really easy to pull out and reheat for left overs night!
Ingredients
- 3 pounds pork loin or pork shoulder, trimmed of fat and cut into 1” pieces
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning the meat.
- 2 tablespoons oil (Olive or Avocado)
- 1 half yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tablespoon ground cumin
- ½ tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 fresh poblano chiles, seeded and halved
- 2 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and halved (*see note below)
- 1½ pounds fresh tomatillos, husks removed
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons sugar or honey
- 2 teaspoons sea salt added to the sauce while simmering
How to Make It
1. Brown the Pork
Start by seasoning your pork with salt and pepper on all sides.
Heat a large stockpot over high heat, add the oil, and once it’s shimmering, sear the pork pieces until they’re brown. Depending on the size of your stockpot, you may need to work in batches so the meat sears instead of steams.
Once browned, remove the pork and set it aside.
2. Build the Flavor Base
If the pan looks a little dry, drizzle in a touch more oil.
Add the chopped onion and sauté until softened and translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook just until fragrant — about 30 seconds.
Sprinkle in the cumin and oregano, then stir to coat the onions in all those warm spices.
Return the pork to the pot and stir, then pour in the chicken broth. Give everything a stir, cover, and lower the heat to medium-low.
Let it simmer gently while you are making the sauce. Once the sauce is made, add to the pot and simmer for 2 to 4 hours, or until the pork is tender and easily pulled apart with a fork. The length of time it takes will depend on the size of your pieces of meat.
3. Roast the Vegetables for the Sauce
While the pork is simmering, make the roasted green chile sauce that gives this dish its signature flavor.
Preheat your oven to high broil, and place a rack on the middle setting.
Line a baking sheet with sides with foil, or you can use a baking dish lightly oiled.
Slice the tomatillos and both types of peppers in half. Remove the seeds and the white veins inside the peppers for a mild version of the sauce. You can see the note below about spice level. Do not remove the seeds from the tomatillos.
Lay out your halved poblano peppers, jalapeños, and tomatillos (cut side down).
Broil for about 7–10 minutes, until the skins are blistered and lightly charred.
Once they’re done, place the hot peppers in a plastic bag or bowl covered with plastic wrap for about 5 minutes to steam. This makes the skins easy to remove. Peel off the outer skins and discard them. If you find you can’t remove the skins from the peppers, don’t worry, just add them to the blender in tact and blend extra long.
4. Blend the Sauce
Add the roasted peppers, tomatillos, and fresh cilantro to a blender and puree until smooth.
Pour this green sauce into the pot and stir to combine. Add 2 Tbs of Sugar or honey and 2 Tsp sea salt to the pot and stir. Let everything simmer together allowing the flavors to meld beautifully until pork is tender ans sauce is done.
5. Serve and Enjoy
Serve your homemade chile verde warm with soft tortillas, Mexican rice, and refried beans. It’s the perfect family-style meal — simple, nourishing, and full of flavor.
Spice Level Guide 🌶️
- Very Hot: Leave all the seeds and veins in your jalapeños.
- Medium-Hot: Leave them in one pepper.
- Mild: Leave seeds in half a pepper.
- Extra Mild: Remove all seeds and veins.
Make-Ahead Tip
You can absolutely make this dish ahead of time. Follow the recipe till the sauce is done, let it cool, then refrigerate uncovered until chilled. Cover tightly and store for up to 3 days.
When you’re ready to serve, bring it back to a gentle simmer, and serve. The flavor actually gets even better the next day!
From My Farmhouse Kitchen
There’s nothing fancy about this dish — just fresh, real ingredients and time. That’s what makes it so good. The tomatillos give it a bright, tangy note, while the slow-simmered pork melts into the sauce.
Serve it with warm tortillas, top it with a sprinkle of cilantro, and enjoy every bite. It’s simple, homestyle cooking at its best — the kind of recipe that makes your kitchen smell amazing and brings everyone to the table.
For my homemade tortilla recipe click here.
Homemade Pork Chili Verde
Ingredients
- 3 pounds pork loin or pork shoulder trimmed of fat and cut into 1” pieces
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning the meat.
- 2 tablespoons oil Olive or Avocado
- 2 tablespoons sugar or honey
- 2 teaspoons sea salt added to the sauce while simmering
- 1 half yellow onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ tablespoon ground cumin
- ½ tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 fresh poblano chiles seeded and halved
- 2 fresh jalapeño peppers seeded and halved (*see note below)
- 1½ pounds fresh tomatillos husks removed
- ½ cup fresh cilantro roughly chopped
Instructions
- Brown the Pork
- Start by seasoning your pork with salt and pepper on all sides.
- Heat a large stockpot over high heat, add the oil, and once it’s shimmering, sear the pork pieces until they’re brown. Depending on the size of your stockpot, you may need to work in batches so the meat sears instead of steams.
- Once browned, remove the pork and set it aside.
- Build the Flavor Base
- If the pan looks a little dry, drizzle in a touch more oil.
- Add the chopped onion and sauté until softened and translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook just until fragrant — about 30 seconds.
- Sprinkle in the cumin and oregano, then stir to coat the onions in all those warm spices.
- Return the pork to the pot and stir, then pour in the chicken broth. Give everything a stir, cover, and lower the heat to medium-low.
- Let it simmer gently while you are making the sauce. Once the sauce is made, add to the pot and simmer for 2 to 4 hours, or until the pork is tender and easily pulled apart with a fork. The length of time it takes will depend on the size of your pieces of meat.
- Roast the Vegetables for the Sauce
- While the pork is simmering, make the roasted green chile sauce that gives this dish its signature flavor.
- Preheat your oven to high broil, and place a rack on the middle setting.
- Line a baking sheet with sides with foil, or you can use a baking dish lightly oiled.
- Slice the tomatillos and both types of peppers in half. Remove the seeds and the white veins inside the peppers for a mild version of the sauce. You can see the note below about spice level. Do not remove the seeds from the tomatillos.
- Lay out your halved poblano peppers, jalapeños, and tomatillos (cut side down).
- Broil for about 7–10 minutes, until the skins are blistered and lightly charred.
- Once they’re done, place the hot peppers in a plastic bag or bowl covered with plastic wrap for about 5 minutes to steam. This makes the skins easy to remove. Peel off the outer skins and discard them. If you find you can’t remove the skins from the peppers, don’t worry, just add them to the blender in tact and blend extra long.
- Blend the Sauce
- Add the roasted peppers, tomatillos, and fresh cilantro to a blender and puree until smooth.
- Pour this green sauce into the pot and stir to combine. Add 2 Tbs of Sugar or honey and 2 Tsp sea salt to the pot and stir. Let everything simmer together allowing the flavors to meld beautifully until pork is tender ans sauce is done.
- Serve and Enjoy
- Serve your homemade chile verde warm with soft tortillas, Mexican rice, and refried beans. It’s the perfect family-style meal — simple, nourishing, and full of flavor.
- Spice Level Guide 🌶️
- Very Hot: Leave all the seeds and veins in your jalapeños.
- Medium-Hot: Leave them in one pepper.
- Mild: Leave seeds in half a pepper.
- Extra Mild: Remove all seeds and veins.
- Make-Ahead Tip
- You can absolutely make this dish ahead of time. Follow the recipe till the sauce is done, let it cool, then refrigerate uncovered until chilled. Cover tightly and store for up to 3 days.
- When you’re ready to serve, bring it back to a gentle simmer, and serve. The flavor actually gets even better the next day!
